By Małgosia Halliop The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is a fascinating novel that asks questions about what is and isn’t included in that most basic of language tools: the dictionary. It’s a fictional story set within real and specific historical events, and reminds us of the ways even a seemingly neutral document like … Continue reading Book Review: “The Dictionary of Lost Words” by Pip Williams
Tag: books
Book Review: “On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present” by Karen Stollznow
By Amanda Clarke—With an increasing awareness around inclusive and conscious language, the time is ripe for a book that explores offensive language and its roots. This is what Karen Stollznow sets out to do in her book, On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present. Without an understanding of the ways that …
Editors Advise: Best Resources for Editors and Writers
In this series, Editors Toronto members and BoldFace contributors share their experiences, insights, and tips on the practical aspects of working as an editor or writer. The previous edition of “Editors Advise” included recommendations related to professional development. This time, six editors share their favourite resources on grammar and style. As it turns out, one … Continue reading Editors Advise: Best Resources for Editors and Writers
Editors’ Picks: Last-Minute Gift Ideas for the Editor in Your Life
By Alicja Minda—During the holiday season, we are bombarded with ideas on what to buy for the special people in our lives: family members, partners, friends. There are gift guides broken down by age, interest (for movie fans, for yoga lovers), and even occupation (for teachers, for chefs), yet I’ve never seen a list …
Book Review: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
by Indu Singh In the first chapter of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, the author poses a challenge to his readers: go a week without writing any of the words out of a list of what he considers pointless adverbs, including very, rather, really, quite, just, so, surely, of course, … Continue reading Book Review: Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
An evening with Michael Redhill and Martha Kanya-Forstner
by Joanne Haskins Editors Toronto hosted a special branch meeting in January, when acclaimed author Michael Redhill took the stage with his editor, Martha Kanya-Forstner, to discuss the writing and editing of Bellevue Square, the 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize winner. Redhill’s novels include Consolation (longlisted for the Man Booker Prize) and Martin Sloane (a finalist … Continue reading An evening with Michael Redhill and Martha Kanya-Forstner
Book Review: Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar by David Crystal
Crystal against crystallization by James Harbeck (Oxford University Press, 2017) How can we have crystal-clear language spoken by people with a crystal-clear understanding of how it works? For one thing, don’t try to crystallize it—just Crystal-ize. Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar, by David Crystal, is for anyone who wants to get Crystal … Continue reading Book Review: Making Sense: The Glamorous Story of English Grammar by David Crystal
Book Review: The Story of Be: A Verb’s-Eye View of the English Language by David Crystal
(Oxford University Press, 2017) By Christine Albert Some words are so familiar that it feels as though we instinctively know what they mean. And when we don’t, we use a dictionary to read its definition and determine how it can be placed alongside other words to form cohesive narratives. But how often do we think … Continue reading Book Review: The Story of Be: A Verb’s-Eye View of the English Language by David Crystal
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