Steven Pinker on Good Writing with Ian McEwan
Steven Pinker is one of the world\u2019s leading authorities on language, mind and human nature. A professor of psychology at Harvard, he is the bestselling author of eight books and regularly appears in lists of the world\u2019s top 100 thinkers. In 2014 he returned to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss his latest publication 'The Sense of Style', a short and entertaining writing guide for the 21st century. Pinker argued that bad writing can\u2019t be blamed on the internet, or on \u201cthe kids today\u201d. Good writing has always been hard: a performance requiring pretence, empathy, and a drive for coherence. He answered questions such as: how can we overcome the \u201ccurse of knowledge\u201d, the difficulty in imagining what it\u2019s like not to know something we do? And how can we distinguish the myths and superstitions about language from helpful rules that enhance clarity and grace? Pinker showed how everyone can improve their mastery of writing and their appreciation of the art. Professor Pinker was in conversation with Ian McEwan, one of Britain\u2019s most acclaimed novelists, who has frequently explored the common ground between art and science.\nThis event took place on the 25th September 2014 at the Royal Geographical Society in London. The original producer was Executive Producer Hannah Kaye, with editing by Executive Producer Rowan Slaney and Daisy Moll. Producer Catharine Hughes was your host.\n\u2014\nWe\u2019d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next, who we should have on and what our future debates should be about. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us at @intelligence2.\xa0\nAt Intelligence Squared we\u2019ve got our own online streaming platform, Intelligence Squared+ and we\u2019d love you to give it a go. It\u2019s packed with more than 20 years\u2019 worth of video debates and conversations on the world\u2019s most important topics as well as exclusive podcast content. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch on-demand, totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com to start watching today\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices