"Good reading is hard writing."

Kate and I have chosen select quotes about writing to adorn our OSWW manuals. This simple quote --by the late, great Anonymous-- reminds us that writing is demanding.  By dumb-luck, today I stumbled upon an article with a unique take on this truth.

While I rushed about the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, a headline peeped out at me  from amongst the scattered mail and other distractions littering my counter: "What John Keats Can Teach a CEO" (Wall Street Journal, April 18).  I could not resist; the dishes could wait.

What does poetry have to do with business? In our day of blogging, email, and Twitter, brevity and clarity matter more. According the author, poets have much to teach us about "saying a lot --and saying it memorably--in small spaces."

So, as it is National Poetry Month, pick up your Eliot, Dickinson, Yeats, or Collins. It may help you land your next deal. Better yet, you may just enjoy reading poetry again.

-Molly