"As with"

[Megan O'Neil]

I'm working this summer with Arnold Zwicky on a project.  We just
started looking at the use of sentence-initial "As with..." in a
sentence, and we're looking for any feedback or thoughts others might
have.

The use of "As with" is actually quite common.  Searching for examples
proved to be quite easy and straightforward.  It also turned up a lot
of headlines that use the construction, which I found interesting.
The following is a headline from the Los Angeles Times:

"As with many in dance, Lucinda Childs finds inspiration from Merce
Cunningham."

This particular sentence is a perfect example of how to employ "As
with" in a way that doesn't invite criticism or confusion.  Many of
the examples I found were along these same lines, but there were also
(of course) those that left the reader quite baffled.  Ultimately,
["As with X"] triggers a comparison that is going to happen between
the main clause and the "as with" phrase.  The main clause supplies
the thing that X is being compared to and also the basis for the
comparison.

My question is this: Has anyone looked at these types of sentences
before?  If so, what are your thoughts?  Is there any literature on
the subject?
Any feedback is welcome.  Thanks!

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