Death, life and the Oxford comma (or not)
Let’s talk for a few minutes about overreaction. Earlier in the week, the book industry site GalleyCat reported that the Oxford University public relations department had urged writers to generally...
View ArticleThanks to the classifieds, I’ve learned to print sandwiches
Commas appear so easily and seem so innocent that it’s easy to read right past them. That’s apparently how the "All-in-one computer printer, sandwich maker" was born. The post Thanks to the...
View ArticleCommas have power. Use them, and use them wisely.
A few years ago, Robert Samuelson lamented the declining use of the comma, suggesting that its abandonment was a metaphor for the impatience of modern life. He’s right, I think, and even more so today....
View ArticleAn ad with three — that’s right, three! — lessons in one
From the world of online deals comes this marvel: the world’s smallest iPad case. That’s right, folks. This case is so small that it shrinks your iPad to the size of an iPhone. It’s so small that you...
View ArticleA philosophy of writing (and life) for the new year
Lisa McLendon and I created this little gem after classes ended in December. It’s a philosophy of life for writers and editors, but also just a philosophy of life. We turned the design into a sticker,...
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