Quote for Today- Samuel Elliot Morison

Quote for Today

“A few hints as to literary craftsmanship may be useful to budding historians. First and foremost, get writing!”

Samuel Elliot Morison

History as a Literary Art, Old South Leaflets

Often we find sage advice in the wisdom of people far removed from our own areas of interest and expertise. Samuel Elliot Morison, (1887-1976), was an American historian who won two Pulitzer Prizes, among other accolades, for his work in American and maritime history. You don’t have to love history or ships and water to understand what he is sharing here. This is an encouragement to get doing!  I doubt Morison started out with the goal of winning a Pulitzer Prize, that naturally came to him after years of developing his writing and researching skills. 

The use of the word “craftsmanship” in reference to becoming a writer of history caught my attention here. In certain circles, the word ”craft” conjures up visions of handwork in wood, yarn, paint, etc., stalls at craft fairs, and glitter covered kitchen tables on a rainy Saturday with the kids. But note the title from which this quote was plucked: History as a Literary Art. This indicates Morison’s view of his profession. Writing, specifically writing about history, was his art.

Hmmmm… out comes the dictionary…

art n : the principles or methods governing any craft or branch of learning

          exceptional skill in conducting any human activity

Of course, there are more definitions listed which fit our expectations of what we would think of as "art"... but "exceptional skill in conducting any human activity" should give us pause.  Isn’t it funny how often we skim over words, assuming we know what they mean?  

craft  n : skill; dexterity, an art, trade, or occupation requiring special skill, especially 

              manual skill

         v :  to make or manufacture (an object, objects, product, etc.) with skill and careful 

              attention to detail

         synonyms; talent, ability, vocation, calling, métier.

There you go. Working on and honing skills, giving “careful attention to detail”, is developing our "craftsmanship", the realm to which those skills are applied is only secondary. So while we may mentally rank the seasoned historian over the child working on a school project in that same field- expert versus novice- we should never undervalue the efforts of anyone laboring in their chosen "craft". That effort should be celebrated!