摘要：ONE OF THE PLEASURES of interviewing one’s professional colleagues is the chance to present a candid and approachable picture of a well-known scholar. Some of us come across majestically in our scholarly prose—a contrast to the informal, down-to-earth selves we present in person. Such is not the case for Joe Harris, the kind colleague who cheerfully submitted to an interview for this issue. Joe’s lucid prose is the real thing—a reflection of his personal presence. If there is a difference, it lies in a bit more overt humor in face-to-face conversation. Otherwise, the author of works that include A Teaching Subject: Composition since 1966 and my personal favorite, Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts, exhibits the kind of wordsmithery that trades polysyllabic obfuscation for transparent, idiomatic prose that is always informed and interesting sans foppish erudition. (That last phrase would be the kind of thing Joe would never write. Not ever. Thank goodness.)
