Grice's maxims and the art of conversation

A good conversation is not just Gricean maxims. The Gricean principles are only about effective conversation, the appropriate amount of talk, timing, truth and so on. Grice says nothing about creativity or pleasure in talk.

Same with pasta. Anyone can cook it, even men, but it is an art to cook a great tortellini or an orichietti or lasagna. And risotto is an art.

Exactly. A good conversation is one from which you withdraw with a glow. You applaud it at the end. It’s one replete with ready responses, ripe ripostes, even rude retorts. Conversations containing those are art. They are hard to measure, there may even be diversions.

The sad thing is, it’s so hard to recall those really great exchanges.

Such conversations are glistening speech bubbles, flashes of froth, and gone with the wind.

What were we talking about?

Grice. oh, and pasta.
...