June 21, 2004
Aims, Shoots & Levels
The New Yorker's Louis Menand takes to task Lynne Truss's grammar manifesto Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation for the (apparently copious) punctuation errors in her book. After cataloguing the book's lapses in commas and parentheses, Menand laments the publisher's decision not to amend the American version of the book to account for differences between American and British usage (this really does make no sense). A money quote:
The supreme peculiarity of this peculiar publishing phenomenon is that the British are less rigid about punctuation and related matters, such as footnote and bibliographic form, than Americans are. An Englishwoman lecturing Americans on semicolons is a little like an American lecturing the French on sauces.
The article then uses Truss's book to launch a discussion of the "voice" in the written word:
The uncertainty about what it means for writing to have a voice arises from the metaphor itself. Writers often claim that they never write something that they would not say. It is hard to know how this could be literally true. Speech is somatic, a bodily function, and it is accompanied by physical inflections—tone of voice, winks, smiles, raised eyebrows, hand gestures—that are not reproducible in writing. Spoken language is repetitive, fragmentary, contradictory, limited in vocabulary, loaded down with space holders (“like,” “um,” “you know”)—all the things writing teachers tell students not to do. And yet people can generally make themselves understood right away. As a medium, writing is a million times weaker than speech. It’s a hieroglyph competing with a symphony.
I won't spoil the rest, but it's a great read for any (other) grammar or writing nerds out there.
Posted by Jennifer at June 21, 2004 01:17 PM
| TrackBack
I have found the best online source for buying:
Viagra online
Levitra online
Cialis online
Please check out some information about tramadol online http://www.montaguefineart.com/ tramadol online diet pills http://diet-pills.honeymoon-destination-a.us/ diet pills texas hold em poker http://www.mbgeezers.com/ texas hold em poker weight loss http://www.lakesideartonline.com/ weight loss online gambling http://www.pages4people.com/ online gambling texas holdem http://www.playandwin777.com/ texas holdem play poker http://www.mystify2001.com/ play poker poker room http://www.lambethcouncil.com/ poker room casino http://www.vivlart.com/ casino texas hold em http://www.redcentre.org/ texas hold em phentermine http://phentermine.waylandenterprises.co.uk/ phentermine phentermine http://www.workfromhome-homebasedbusiness.com/ phentermine poker tables http://www.valeofglamorganconservatives.org/ poker tables internet casinos http://www.vtsae.org/ internet casinos ...
Please check the pages in the field of zimmer | zimmer | http://www.prilosec-top-pharmacy.net/ | click here | click here | http://www.meridia-top-pharmacy.net/ | site | site | http://www.free-online-poker-top-casino.net/ | this link | this link | http://www.buy-adipex-top-pharmacy.net/ | every link | every link | http://www.xenical-top-pharmacy.net/ | here | here | http://www.nexium-top-pharmacy.net/ | go to | go to | http://www.mail-order-pharmacy-top-pharmacy.net/ | come here | come here | http://www.ambien-top-pharmacy.net/ | where | where | http://www.poker-table-top-casino.net/ | everyone | everyone | http://www.xenical-online-top-pharmacy.net/ | here | here | http://www.reductil-top-pharmacy.net/ | each site | each site | http://www.internet-pharmacy-top-pharmacy.net/ | goto | goto | http://www.pacific-poker-top-casino.net/ | ...
You can also check the sites in the field of for that | for that | http://www.vivlart.com/ | link | link | http://www.dietpillsl90.net/ | this site | this site | http://www.onlinecasino-4u.com/ | following link | following link | http://www.diet-pills-4me.net/ | link | link | http://www.poker-4u.net/ | here | here | http://www.phentermine-experts.com/ | where | where | http://www.workfromhome-homebasedbusiness.com/ | goto | goto | http://www.stfc-isc.org/ | that site | that site | http://www.nancyflowerswilson.com/ | that link | that link | http://www.poker-winner.net/ | whereever | whereever | http://www.melincs.org/ | here | here | http://www.onlinepokersite.net/ | home of | home of | http://www.worldwide-em.com/ | here | here | http://www.online-consultation24x7.com/ | site | site | http://www.pokerkingdom.net/ | ...
You are invited to check out some helpful info in the field of buy zithromax online | buy zithromax online | http://www.buy-zithromax-online-pharmacy.info/ | texas holdem online | texas holdem online | http://www.texas-holdem-online-website.info/ | mircette | mircette | http://www.mircette-online-pharmacy.info/ | buy phendimetrazine | buy phendimetrazine | http://www.buy-phendimetrazine-pharmacy.info/ | yeast infection cure | yeast infection cure | http://www.worldwide-deals-pharmacy.info/ | remeron | remeron | http://www.buy-online-service-4u.info/ | wrinkle treatment | wrinkle treatment | http://www.wrinkle-treatment-online-pharmacy.info/ | discount birth control pill | discount birth control pill | http://www.discount-birth-control-pill-pharmacy.info/ | patanol | patanol | http://www.patanol-online-pharmacy.info/ | allopurinol | allopurinol | http://www.best-buy-site-24x7.info/ | anti depressant | anti depressant | http://www.anti-depressant-online-pharmacy.info/ | ...
You can also check some information dedicated to phentermine | phentermine | http://www.princeofprussia.org/ | phentermine | phentermine | http://www.phentermine-online-sale.net/ | ...
