I just finished reading Post Office. Amazing writing style. Like you said, short sharp sentences and chapters. Swears a lot and uses everyday language.

If you've seen any doco's on the man you might also notice he writes like he talks. You can almost see him leaning back in his chair with a bottle of Bud and nursing a hangover as you're reading

"I wailed and I wailed and I wailed"

HI all,

I enjoyed reading this thread.

now I want to point an element "short sentences , short paragraph" I am for pithy headline.

but I think modestly that sometime people have to go in a long descriptive paragraph without taking the risk to lost the reader.

a salesletter witch is "story" oriented will face this at a moment or an other.

this is why I think that some Russian literature, can bring very interesting help in copywriting.

the analysis of human nature in the many book from Dostoevsky
the art of telling a long story in some of tolstoi.

unfortunately I havn't got the opportunity to read for many, and I think modestly that there is always some thing to learn from some one who can sell million of " more then 400 pages" books.

should copywriters read the classic?

for my self, I begin by Khalil Gibran, then Dostoevsky , tolstoi, tourginiev, tchekov ..

but later I discovred the "magic surrealism".

I wish I had time to read like I do before.

now with your permission a question :

how could Khalil Gibran help your copywriting?

Nice post, Abdellah, and I am glad you mentioned Russian literature. I read Anna Karenina twice when I was in my 20s and read several works by Dostoyevsky. Oh to have that kind of time again.

Unfortunately I haven't read Khalil Gibran so I can't answer that question. Maybe you could enlighten us?

--Anita

HI Anita Ashland,
I am not an expert in literature, not even a copywriters, I love words and I will be happy to share my modest vision about this with you.
from what I read from Khalil Gibran, I enjoyed the mix of :
1)metaphor in the poetic way .
2)parable.
3)story telling.
4)the use of spirituality.
he excel in description, in painting scenes, he is able to take his reader in some different universes, without making it sound too much
but how this may help a copywriter?
the use of metaphor, the story telling and may be a sermon tone writing style .
but the focus in metaphor may lead to interesting stuff.

here a quote from (the madman) by Khalil Gibran : url

and this one from (the prophet) by Khalil GIbran : url

I will be honest, the word metaphor remind me a sales letter from G.Bencivenga , that doc showed us in a thread, in that copy it was about porc, in a paragraph there was a way of describing how it tast and it was realy interesting to read, unfortunatly I tried to find the link by searching the board but nothing, hope that some one will make it.

a better use of metaphot, will perhaps make a difference in a copy.

and even if reading Khalil Gibran don't affect your copywriting, you will not loose your time reading it is realy worth time investement.

I couldn't it either. The closest I found was this thread that discusses Bencivenga's bullet about metaphors.

Thanks to your post I can now officially say I've read Khalil Gibran. I'll have to read some more on my own.

I also need to reread Hemingway and try some of the authors others have mentioned here, especially the copywriters who have written novels. Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. Please feel free to add more.

--Anita

Anita, Abdellah

I searched for the GB thread to no avail myself... Harlan has a video where he breaks down that piece of copy. I also looked for the letter online and couldn't dig it up, but I have a copy of it as an email. I'll forward to you if you'd like - PM me.

Here is the Bencivenga ham letter:

Holiday Ham Offer

Here are a few of my many favorites:

Animal Farm by George Orwell
"Howl" by Allen Ginsberg is my all-time favorite poem.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
Anything by the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hahn

and..........

Here are two that I started but haven't had time to finish. They've been collecting dust on my shelf for a few years. I'm not sure if they pertain to copywriting, so I'll have to get back to you:

Capote by Gerald Clarke
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

Thanks, Anita, for starting this thread. I'm going to finish my work tonight and read for pleasure for the first time in a long time!

Here's an interesting quote from Animal Farm:

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself."
- George Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 1

Well done Kyle for posting the link for the "Ham Letter" - I was trying to - but didn't know how.

To see more of Gary's amazing copy all you have to do is sign up for the Rosengarten Report.

Welcome to the Rosengarten Report

When it arrives in your email box - stop whatever you're doing - sit back and just enjoy reading it.

It's as you would expect, outstandingly good.


Steve

Wow, I've just noticed for the first time ever - I've actually done a "link" to a website.

Maybe, I will become an internet guru now.

Then again perhaps not - best leave it to the experts.

Steve