Writing/speaking well—with real intent, focus and clarity—has always been an issue of the utmost importance to some of those working in academia generally, within which mathematicians are no exception. We give consideration to the conventional literature survey and other expository pieces as useful centres of an initial discussion, and develop the broader theme as referenced to two of our very best past communicators and popularisers of mathematics across
both facets of dissemination—P.R. Halmos and G.-C. Rota, de facto grand seigneurs of the early modern day period
