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Tools of the Trade |
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Susan Geib relies on a short shelf of basic, readily available language reference publications. For your reference, here they are, annotated with the editorial “we.” Essential even on a desert island The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition (Houghton Mifflin, 2000). A great, comprehensive resource that includes a thesaurus and valuable usage notes. It’s always open on our desktop. The New York Public Library Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage (HarperCollins, 1994). Our favorite and most-consulted guide. For daily use, we prefer it to the Chicago Manual of Style — while generally in agreement with Chicago, this manual is more attuned to business and general writing, and it addresses usage as well as style. The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition (University of Chicago Press, 1993). Indispensable for academic contexts, esoteric style issues, and the authoritative, 12-page Table 6.1: Spelling Guide for Compound Words and Words with Prefixes and Suffixes. We recommend this edition over the more recent 15th. Also on the shelf The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, Revised and Updated Edition (Perseus Books Group, 2002). Not our stylebook of choice — too newswriterish — but a handy secondary reference. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, Second Edition (1965). H.W. Fowler’s masterwork, originally published in 1926, and revised and edited by Sir Ernest Gowers, still sets an impeccable standard, but it’s definitely not for amateurs. If you want to explore it, stick with the second (rather than the third) edition. The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White. (We use an ancient, battered copy, but the latest is the fourth edition, Allyn & Bacon, 2000. Also see the 2005 illustrated edition with artwork by Maira Kalman.) It’s the American classic, and reading anything by E.B. White makes anyone a better writer. The Oxford English Dictionary, Compact Edition, 2 vols. (Oxford University Press, 1971). Terrific for etymology, historical meanings, and changes over time. More recent editions are available online by subscription or on CD-ROM; check www.oed.com for information. Word Court, by Barbara Wallraff (Harcourt, 2000). A bracing tour of contemporary usage issues by the senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly. Words into Type, Third Edition (Pearson PTP, 1974). Clear and easy to use, but somewhat dated. |
Et Cetera
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A miscellany of our language and literature favorites, with related shopping information. Poetry Daily www.poems.com Add a poem to your day — the effects may surprise you! Merriam-Webster Word of the Day www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/mwwod.pl Vitamins for your vocabulary. OED Word of the Day www.oed.com/cgi/display/wotd If you really, really love words. . . . Word for the Wise www.m-w.com/wftw Small, easy-to-take doses of etymology, grammar, style, and usage. Word Court www.theatlantic.com Barbara Wallraff presides. She will deputize you to pursue poetic justice if you pass muster at the Word Police Academy. “Politics and the English Language,” by George Orwell This manifesto, still incandescent after nearly 60 years, is required reading for anyone who writes. You can find it in George Orwell: A Collection of Essays (Harcourt Brace, 1946) — while you’re at it, read them all. Time and Date www.timeanddate.com Helpful in scheduling international phone appointments. Also offers handy calendar features. The New Yorker www.newyorker.com Our favorite weekly reading matter, always. Brookline Booksmith www.brooklinebooksmith.com Support your local independent bookseller! Ours is Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA, where you’re welcome to browse with your dog. Order online as well.  Sometimes you just need Amazon. We’re an Amazon.com Associate, so you can click on the logo above to place your order. to top |
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POINT OF VIEW VITAL STATISTICS FOR EXAMPLE BUZZ WORDWORKERS' WORKSHOP TOOLS OF THE TRADE | |
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