You definitely should give Eats, Shoots & Leaves a try; it isn't an extended rant, and while I don't believe for a moment that pedants have anything to be ashamed of (I support Pedant Pride!), it isn't all pedantic, either. Each chapter tells you: a) where a given punctuation mark came from b) how the mark and its usage evolved c) what the current rules are for using said mark correctly d) how the mark is incorrectly used, including many examples that will, guaranteed, make you laugh, shriek, and weep, and e) some humor related to the punctuation mark
I actually avoided this book for a long time because I thought it was just another rulebook, and I don't need another rulebook, particularly not one that only covers British English. But it is so, so much more than that. And it isn't just about punctuation; it's a call to arms, a plan for a worldwide revolution, a woman standing up and shouting that she isn't gonna take it anymore.
As for smugness: the author tells tales of her own punctuation woes, making the point that anyone can be a stickler, and also making the point that we all make mistakes. There isn't a lot of smugness in there. That I've noticed, anyway.
Read it. I think you'll enjoy it more than you expect, and you'll find more common ground than you'd feared. (Or hoped.)
Um. Proselytizing ends.
As for DIR - yes, back to that - I'm so proud that the fandom has grown to the point that there can be fics we forget or fics we haven't heard about. We'll be a medium-sized fandom yet!
no subject
a) where a given punctuation mark came from
b) how the mark and its usage evolved
c) what the current rules are for using said mark correctly
d) how the mark is incorrectly used, including many examples that will, guaranteed, make you laugh, shriek, and weep, and
e) some humor related to the punctuation mark
I actually avoided this book for a long time because I thought it was just another rulebook, and I don't need another rulebook, particularly not one that only covers British English. But it is so, so much more than that. And it isn't just about punctuation; it's a call to arms, a plan for a worldwide revolution, a woman standing up and shouting that she isn't gonna take it anymore.
As for smugness: the author tells tales of her own punctuation woes, making the point that anyone can be a stickler, and also making the point that we all make mistakes. There isn't a lot of smugness in there. That I've noticed, anyway.
Read it. I think you'll enjoy it more than you expect, and you'll find more common ground than you'd feared. (Or hoped.)
Um. Proselytizing ends.
As for DIR - yes, back to that - I'm so proud that the fandom has grown to the point that there can be fics we forget or fics we haven't heard about. We'll be a medium-sized fandom yet!