Analyzing his own writing and that of his teachers, and reflecting on the writing advice he had been given over the years, Carroll Dale Short's epiphany was the recognition of a dozen practical fundamentals of good writing. As one would expect from the author of The Shining Shining Path (available from NewSouth Books), the book is also fun to read. Drawing upon example after example, Short reveals the shortcuts and techniques of strong writing, providing easy ways to use transitions, enhance narrative sequence, and spice up dialogue. Reading this tool kit will improve any writer, from expert...

Novelist Carroll Dale Short turned his hand to creative non-fiction with this profile of Alabama lawyer Julian McPhillips, issued in hardcover in 2000 and now out of print. The new paperback edition has been revised with a 2005 update written by the subject of the book, who had a lot to talk about. Over the past five years, McPhillips was Bill Bradley's state campaign coordinator, ran himself for the U.S. Senate (he lost), and continued to build his reputation as an advocate for the underdog in cases ranging from police brutality to corporate malfeasance, from employment discrimination to...