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Geekier than presidential cookies |
Between You & Me: Confessions
of a Comma Queen by
Mary Norris
of a Comma Queen by
Mary Norris
3 words:
smart, exuberant, geeky
smart, exuberant, geeky
One part
memoir, one part grammar & punctuation handbook, one part investigative
journalism (she gets to the bottom of the mystery of who added the hyphen to Moby-Dick).
memoir, one part grammar & punctuation handbook, one part investigative
journalism (she gets to the bottom of the mystery of who added the hyphen to Moby-Dick).
My
fellow book geeks: rejoice.
fellow book geeks: rejoice.
Mary
Norris is a New Yorker copy editor
who writes about words, her work, and her devotion to the #1 pencil.
Norris is a New Yorker copy editor
who writes about words, her work, and her devotion to the #1 pencil.
I knew I
could be her friend when I read: “…I had ordered so many pencils that Cal Cedar
threw in a free sharpener. I loved having it with me, to sharpen pencils on the
go or to whip out in a café if a friend’s point had gotten dull.” (191)
could be her friend when I read: “…I had ordered so many pencils that Cal Cedar
threw in a free sharpener. I loved having it with me, to sharpen pencils on the
go or to whip out in a café if a friend’s point had gotten dull.” (191)
Whipping
out a pencil sharpener: I could be that person.
out a pencil sharpener: I could be that person.
Add to
that some smart explanations about punctuation, and you’ve got yourself a book
nerd’s dream book.
that some smart explanations about punctuation, and you’ve got yourself a book
nerd’s dream book.
And if
you’re a New Yorker fan, there are
some delightful anecdotes. One of my favorites dealt with the squeamishness of
editor William Shawn: “According to Ian Frazier, the sentence incorporating as
many Shawn taboos as possible was ‘The short, balding man wearing a wig took
his menstruating wife to a boxing match.’” (p. 163)
you’re a New Yorker fan, there are
some delightful anecdotes. One of my favorites dealt with the squeamishness of
editor William Shawn: “According to Ian Frazier, the sentence incorporating as
many Shawn taboos as possible was ‘The short, balding man wearing a wig took
his menstruating wife to a boxing match.’” (p. 163)
If you’re
a video type of person, you can also check out her Comma Queen videos.
a video type of person, you can also check out her Comma Queen videos.
Yes. I’m
serious. The first one is about the comma.
serious. The first one is about the comma.
I was
enchanted.
enchanted.
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