Thursday, April 08, 2004

How readable is art writing?

Thanks to Terry Teachout: Golden Rule Jones has run 17 arts blogs through an on-line tool that tests Web sites or WORD documents for "readability."

According to the creator of the tool in question, "The Fog index has been developed by Robert Gunning. Its value is a school grade. The "ideal" Fog Index level is 7 or 8. A level above 12 indicates the writing sample is too hard for most people to read."

DCARTNEWS received a Fog Index of 12. That means that you'd need at least a high school education to read and understand my writing. Just for fun I ran some other area art critics and writers through it and in order of easier readability (from requiring less education to read to requiring more education according to the Fog Index):

Tyler Green in Modern Art Notes: 9.7

Joe Shannon, Art in America DC critic: 9.9

Jessica Dawson's review today: 11.3

Ferdinand Protzman in the Post: 11.9

Michael O'Sullivan review in the Post: 12.2

Paul Richard in the Post: 12.5

Mark Jenkins in the Post Weekend: 13.6

Blake Gopnik's last review in the Post: 13.7

Sidney Lawrence in Artnet.com: 13.7

Louis Jacobson in the City Paper: 14

Claudia Rousseau in the Gazette: 14.3

Joanna Shaw-Eagle in the Washington Times: 14.5

J.W. Mahoney, Art in America DC critic: 15.2

And at a whoopingly unreadable 19.3:

A Glenn Dixon review in the City Paper: 19.3

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