Today's inspiration is Bill Walsh, author of the Lapsing Into a Comma and Elephants of Style. Before reading his books, I was unaware that there were people as interested in grammar/copy editing as I was. Elephants of Style is an in-depth books about the "hows" and "whys" of style, whereas Lapsing Into a Comma is geared more specifically toward copy editors.
It was Walsh who made me realize that perhaps it isn't always wrong to end a sentence with a preposition if it makes for a less awkward clause. And it was Walsh's Web site, The Slot, that made me buy perhaps the wittiest T-shirt I've ever owned. It's always fun to take a walk down the street and have someone laugh at, "Bad grammar makes me [sic]," even if he doesn't understand what it really means.
You know what else I like about Bill Walsh? He answers his e-mail. Because of my long history in the customer service industry, I appreciate when people are courteous enough to respond to questions, comments, etc. It's nice to know that even though Walsh is a grammatical genius, he takes the time to talk to the little people such as myself.
Check out Walsh's blog. It's a perfect place for grammar nerds to read a copy genius in action.
June 30, 2008
June 26, 2008
Time for a change
Yesterday evening at approximately 6:30 p.m., I engaged in a life-changing experience: I got a haircut. Not one of those half-inch, unnoticeable trims, but a real haircut. OK, so perhaps this isn't exactly life-changing, but it was big for me. My hair hasn't been shorter than mid-back since I was about 6. I had always resisted such a haircut in the past because of some irrational fear of change. But a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I was getting sick of always twisting my hair in a messy bun because I was too ashamed to let my hair hang free. Besides, the ends were looking pretty shoddy, and I thought that a new 'do would inspire me to spend more time fixing my hair.
In the days before I got my haircut, I envisioned the possibilities of what would happen. Would I cry like a baby? (I didn't think I would, but I've known people who have.) Would my hair be horribly misshapen, forcing me to hide my locks in shame for the next few months? Would I chicken out and decide to stay with a trim?
Thankfully, none of those things happened. My hair stylist, who has been cutting hair for almost as long as I've been alive, did a great job. I was very pleased with the results of my shorter, slightly styled (but still low-maintenance) hair, and it now looks a hundred times healthier.
My point is that change, even if scary, can be a positive and inspiring part of life. I know that a haircut is only a metaphor for a real life-changing experience (getting married, for example), but I think my experience illustrates in a small way that the fear we feel of change can be negated if we only go through with our plans, because a big change can equal big happiness. And happiness can never be overrated.
In the days before I got my haircut, I envisioned the possibilities of what would happen. Would I cry like a baby? (I didn't think I would, but I've known people who have.) Would my hair be horribly misshapen, forcing me to hide my locks in shame for the next few months? Would I chicken out and decide to stay with a trim?
Thankfully, none of those things happened. My hair stylist, who has been cutting hair for almost as long as I've been alive, did a great job. I was very pleased with the results of my shorter, slightly styled (but still low-maintenance) hair, and it now looks a hundred times healthier.
My point is that change, even if scary, can be a positive and inspiring part of life. I know that a haircut is only a metaphor for a real life-changing experience (getting married, for example), but I think my experience illustrates in a small way that the fear we feel of change can be negated if we only go through with our plans, because a big change can equal big happiness. And happiness can never be overrated.
June 25, 2008
First posting
Hello to all you kids out there in blogging land. I, Melanie Cohen, have been writing for as long as I can remember. There's something exhilarating about putting a set of words on (in this case, virtual) paper and knowing, "Hey, I created this." It's even more exhilarating when people read about it.
But I have to be honest. My passion, which I discovered during my first week of grad school, is copy editing. I've always been geeky about grammar, crazy about characters and even punctilious about punctuation. But when I began studying at USF St. Petersburg, I discovered the gloriosity (new word that means "more glorious than glorious") that is AP style. It was love at first sight!
Since then, I have become a stickler for style, so much so that I now live my life by it. I had since birth been forced to use serial commas, so the adjustment for me was aesthetically difficult. I still disagree with The Associated Press' vendetta against "s's." However, no one was more overjoyed than myself when the AP decided to hyphenate "editor-in-chief."
I am just starting out, so I am not sure exactly how my blog will be tailored. I may include many or few entries about style and grammar (probably many), and I may write about other stuff. Only time will tell. So I begin my amazing journey to be...dun dun dun...grammatically stylin'!
But I have to be honest. My passion, which I discovered during my first week of grad school, is copy editing. I've always been geeky about grammar, crazy about characters and even punctilious about punctuation. But when I began studying at USF St. Petersburg, I discovered the gloriosity (new word that means "more glorious than glorious") that is AP style. It was love at first sight!
Since then, I have become a stickler for style, so much so that I now live my life by it. I had since birth been forced to use serial commas, so the adjustment for me was aesthetically difficult. I still disagree with The Associated Press' vendetta against "s's." However, no one was more overjoyed than myself when the AP decided to hyphenate "editor-in-chief."
I am just starting out, so I am not sure exactly how my blog will be tailored. I may include many or few entries about style and grammar (probably many), and I may write about other stuff. Only time will tell. So I begin my amazing journey to be...dun dun dun...grammatically stylin'!
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