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Some Unearthly Master, and Other News
William Horton’s illustration in The Savoy No. 7. Via the Public Domain Review. Brad Bigelow thinks of his blog, Neglected Books, as “one little step against entropy.” His reviews of forgotten or...
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The Full Complement
A misadventure in pedantry. A 1919 illustration of “The Ant and the Grasshopper” by Milo Winter. One goes to the right, the other to the left; both are wrong, but in different directions.—Horace,...
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Who Is the Black Flâneur? and Other News
William Pope.L, The Great White Way, 22 miles, 9 years, 1 street, 2001–2009. Photo: William Pope.L, Pruznick/Grey. All hail Zardulu! She appears in ceremonial robes around Gotham, begging mortals to...
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The Nostalgia of Constipation, and Other News
From a vintage Dulcolax ad. On the streets of English, adverbs are the knockoff Rolex salesmen lurking in the shadows, always ready to sell you something shiny and fake. Christian Lorentzen urges you...
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A Staggering Array of Folk Art, and Other News
An elephant pull toy from 1830–80, on display now at the New-York Historical Society. Image via The New York Review of Books. When I’m on the job, I use periods in my writing all the time. They’re part...
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The Laws of Simple Sentences
In our new eight-part series, Life Sentence, the literary critic Jeff Dolven will take apart and put back together one beloved or bedeviling sentence every week. Tom Toro will illustrate each sentence...
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The Sentence That Is a Story
In our eight-part series Life Sentence, the literary critic Jeff Dolven takes apart and puts back together one beloved or bedeviling sentence. The artist Tom Toro illustrates each sentence Dolven...
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On Making Oneself Less Unreadable
A photograph of H. W. Fowler in sporting attire from his biography The Warden of English. Grammar enthusiasts either love Henry Watson Fowler or they have yet to encounter his work. It is possible to...
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On Making Oneself Less Unreadable
We’re away until January 3, but we’re reposting some of our favorite pieces from 2017. Enjoy your holiday! A photograph of H. W. Fowler in sporting attire from his biography The Warden of English....
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Three Writing Rules to Disregard
I have nothing against rules. They’re indispensable when playing Monopoly or gin rummy, and their observance can go a long way toward improving a ride on the subway. The rule of law? Big fan. The...
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