Due to the tastes of my book club, I have read more non-fiction and more memoirs this year. Some haven’t worked out for me (fashion. No thank you) but this one faired much better. As is probably common for a reader, I was an English major in college and so this book, about grammar and the life of Mary Norris, The New Yorker copy editor was compelling thought it was a slow start. A slooooow start. Also, if you are an audiobook person, members of my […]
Confessions of a Comma zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I try really hard not to be “that guy” when it comes to grammar. I don’t have enough friends to play with fire and correct every grammatical mistake that flies out of their mouths. But like most voracious readers, I notice when these errors pop up. These days I work at a publishing company, where we pore over every minute detail. It’s pretty common here to see a production assistant with her face practically buried in a draft, searching for any errant commas to vanquish. […]
It’s or Its? Who or Whom?
My husband knows me well. I came back from a trip a week ago, and this book was waiting for me. I hadn’t heard of it, but if I had, I would have bought it myself. Ms. Norris works at The New Yorker, where since the mid-1970s she has copy-edited (copy edited? Shit. I should know this by now) many articles and features. Part how-to (and how-not-to), part history, this book gives the reader some insight into the challenges we face when trying to come […]