Posted by Meredith on Wednesday, Sep 2, 2015
The Iowa City Public Library, the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program and Prairie Lights are pleased to welcome Steven Pinker to the Library on Sept. 22.
The experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist, and popular science author will launch his tour for his seventh book, The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century, at 7 p.m. in Meeting Room A.
The Sense of Style provides a new writing guide for the 21st Century, containing comic strips, cartoons and numerous of examples of comically-bad writing. Pinker’s formula for good writing is simple: write clearly, try to follow the rules most of the time — but only when they make sense.
Pinker was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2004. Since 2008, he has chaired the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary, and wrote the essay on usage for the fifth edition of the Dictionary, which was published in 2011.
This author reading is co-sponsored by the Library, the University of Iowa Nonfiction Writing Program, and Prairie Lights. Copies of The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century will be on sale before the event.
Pinker’s reading will be broadcast live on The Library Channel, Iowa City cable channel 20.
For more information, contact the Library at (319) 356-5200.