Writing Poorly is a Talent

One morning, Yale University Professor of English John Berdan read to his English composition class a particularly inept theme and, as usual, called for comments. The students panned it unmercifully.

“Interesting,” commented Berdan, “because I wrote the theme myself.” As the critics began to blush, he continued, “You are quite right. This theme is incredibly bad. I spent two hours of painstaking effort last night to make sure I had not omitted a single feature of poor writing, and I believe I succeeded.” The professor paused for dramatic effect.

“What astounds me,” he resumed, “is how you men can dash these things off day after day in ten minutes.”

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