The Sound on the Page

The acclaimed author examines the importance of a writer's voice—including interviews with Susan Orlean, Michel Chabon, Junot Díaz and others.

In writing, style matters. Our favorite writers often entertain, move, and inspire us less by what they say than by how they say it. In The Sound on the Page, acclaimed author, teacher, and critic Ben Yagoda offers practical and incisive help for writers on developing and discovering their own style and voice.


This wonderfully rich and readable book features interviews with more than 40 of our most important authors discussing their literary style, including:


Dave Barry


Harold Bloom


Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer


Bill Bryson


Michael Chabon


Andrei Codrescu


Junot Díaz


Adam Gopnik


Jamaica Kincaid


Michael Kinsley


Elmore Leonard


Elizabeth McCracken


Susan Orlean


Cynthia Ozick


Anna Quindlen


Jonathan Raban


David Thomson


Tobias Wolff