This is a 2021 paperbound volume from Luke Jonas.
I had never heard of Jonas, but as a writer, I was intrigued by the book’s central premise that language choices can impact performances.
Unfortunately, also as a writer, I ended up deeply disappointed by the lack of care and craftsmanship put into the publication.
The philosophy that Jonas expounds overlaps substantially with the seminal work of Kenton Knepper, who is oddly never referenced. (In fact, aside from one incomplete credit, there are no citations in this book, not even for Loryane, when memory work is discussed.) Nonetheless, I do applaud Jonas for bringing the topic to what is probably a new group of practitioners. Too bad he hasn’t given them any breadcrumbs to follow to earlier, and more complete, work.
The effects Jonas describes are interesting, and he has put a lot of work into identifying ingredients for each piece. Finding words with specific characteristics, and that are suitable for performance, is not an easy task and undoubtably took many hours. I know firsthand, having done it for R.M. Jamison’s Jabberwocky (which is another relevant citation that is not mentioned). I will use and build on Jonas’ work, and I’m grateful for that.
It’s a damn shame that Jonas didn’t put a fraction of that effort into polishing the text. There is a proofreader credited, who should be ashamed of all the typos, grammar mistakes, and misspellings that were overlooked. But beyond the sloppiness, just examining other publications would have led to more informed decisions regarding typography, layout, and conventions.
And there are content issues, such as the misstatement of the Too Perfect Theory (again, not credited). Furthermore, the title “A Way with Words,” makes more sense than “Away with Words,” as the former reflects the premise of the book. (It’s possible this was an intentional, ironic quip, but given all the other obvious mistakes, it seems unlikely.)
Is this slim book worth the price of $35? Well, the rationalization is that it’s the content that matters, so from that perspective my generous answer is «maybe.» Perhaps if you still believe that “mentalism should cost more.” But it’s a difficult amount to pay when you compare it to more thoughtful material, such as Doug Dyment’s series of similarly sized publications, which are only a little more money but many leagues ahead (and can be read without cringing).
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