“Scott Huler is well-known and respected in the journalistic and non-fiction-writing profession, and he is certainly well-thought-of and appreciated in our part of the world. I believe he is an excellent choice for the position of Piedmont Laureate….”
~ Bland Simpson, Author
|
“Scott’s keen sense of language, his unerring ability to find a good story, and his skills at relating to others all combine to make him a formidable artist. In point of fact, he exemplifies the best of what your [Piedmont Laureate] mission calls for – to promote awareness and heighten appreciation for excellence in the literary arts throughout the Piedmont region.”
~ Joe Newberry
|
“Finally this is a book [“Defining the Wind: The Beaufort Scale and How a 19th-Century Admiral Turned Science into Poetry”] of practical philosophy, about living your life alertly, being awake to the marvelous world around you. And it turns out to be — in an artfully oblique way — a handbook for every writer, amateur or professional, a refreshing primer on the most basic ethic of the craft. “The Beaufort Scale” is about paying attention. It’s about being able to express what you’ve seen simply and clearly, in as few words as possible, so that others can share it. It’s about the good of sharing that knowledge, of everyone paying attention so that, together, we can all learn as much as possible... Huler’s admonition to the reader is to create scales for rating other phenomena in a useful way. So I have taken him at his word and created my own Beaufort Scale of Narrative Books, from 0: “Dull - Nothing much happens; book dead in the water” to 12: Epic - Bells are hung from the heavens and rung by angels.” On that scale Huler rates a 10: “A fast, wild ride; story carries all before it; writing electric; lightning strikes on the page illuminate Big Ideas; reader inspired.”
~ Philip Gerard, Author
|
|
