Episode 18 - Grammar for a Full Life - A Wonderful Interview with Professor Lawrence Weinstein

The Clark and Miller English Podcast

A conversation with former Harvard professor Lawrence Weinstein about how the future can limit our power, how using the active can empower us, how the past tense can make us stronger, a man being strangled by a giant paragraph and much, much more. About a month ago, I was lucky enough to receive a forward copy of Lawrence's book, "Grammar for a Full Life: How the Way We Shape a Sentence Can Limit or Enlarge Us." Interesting title, right? I had a look at it, and it was full of enticing chapters such as: "Tapping Inborn Energy: Transitive Verbs in the Active Voice" and "Generosity: Semicolons, Cumulative Sentences" and "Friends in the Graveyard: A Special Use of Present Tense." In his book, Lawrence shows us the power of grammar and how it can make us better and happier people (and how it can make us worse and unhappier people, too). I couldn't resist asking him onto the podcast to talk about these ideas. So I did. And, very happily, he said, "Yes!" And we had a truly wonderful conversation full of insights and new ideas. I hope you enjoy it!