“If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first-greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy.”

-Dorothy Parker, quoted in The New York Times, ‘The Elements of Style’ Turns 50, April 21, 2009 (minor typographical corrections added).

While I disagree with Parker about The Elements of Style itself, it’s a funny line, and there is something useful to take away from it. More on Strunk & White later.