Commas here, commas there, commas everywhere—except when they’re nowhere to be found, leaving a wake of confusion by their absence. Many writers liberally use commas to insert pauses that are pleasing to the ear—no less a writer than Margaret Atwood has admitted to using commas this way. But comma use is more structured than that:… Continue Reading
National Post columnist and talking head Andrew Coyne wrote a humorous column (last year already?!) about the research showing the health consequences of sitting all day. He ended the column with a call to arms, writing that “we can no longer stand for sitting.” All joking aside, I’m finding the transition from an active day… Continue Reading
I continue to take baby steps into the world of social media. Twitter is very useful for current info from the publishing world, but wading through all those tweets can be time-consuming. LinkedIn initially made me feel like a loser for a myriad of reasons — not least of which is the fact that I’m… Continue Reading
I was depressed as hell today and couldn’t get much accomplished on the job front. I sat at the computer and felt depressed with my job prospects, repulsed by social media, devoid of creativity. This evening I took a walk with a neighbour, and she described the same feelings. We both knew the cause: the… Continue Reading
There’s a new book on bullying, Sticks and Stones, by author Emily Bazelon. I haven’t read it yet, but Bazelon’s article in the National Post today contained a phrase that I found apt: the empathy gap. I don’t know if Bazelon coined this phrase or not, but she’s spot on when she writes that the… Continue Reading
Have you ever wondered about these things: ♦What reports should I hand in to the shareholders? Maybe I should feed the reports into the shredder instead? ♦Couldn’t we move on to brighter thoughts before we move onto the carpet for story time? The correct preposition to use may seem obvious when examples are put side… Continue Reading
It’s not often that a news item makes me laugh out loud, but this one sure did. French publisher Flammarion has caused a furor on this side of the pond with a children’s book by author Marc Cantin. The setting for the book is Quebec, and the main character is a beaver named Kebec who… Continue Reading
An editor recently gave me one of his business cards, which were embossed with the words accuracy, brevity, clarity — the trifecta of the profession. Today, I was reminded of clarity when I saw the text on the side of a business van. Someone in the ‘hood was receiving a delivery of upscale grub —… Continue Reading
I attended an EAC networking event last night for students and new editors. I walked out of there with a lot to think about. I was heartened to meet so many bona fide (read: gainfully employed!) editors in so many different fields, and I was inspired to think of myself as an entrepreneur after speaking… Continue Reading
Editors at The New York Times got an earful last Sunday after publishing the obituary of Yvonne C. Brill, a celebrated rocket scientist. The obit opened with personal details about Brill, and it was mention of her “mean beef stroganoff” that caused a furor on Twitter. The obit was subsequently changed, the stroganoff left to… Continue Reading