How long did it take you to get ready for work this morning? It takes me about an hour: I shave, shower, spray a little cologne, press my slacks and shirt. Why? For better or worse, how you look matters, and here on K St. in Washington, DC, where $2,000 Brooks Brothers suits are a dime a dozen, style counts.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. This applies in geography as well as language. In writing, the shortest distance between my thought and yours is direct phrasing and exact word choice. My goal when writing is to fully transfer thought from my own mind to my readers’ without corrupting, diluting or polluting the pure thought.