A sign of spring: cherry blossoms! Photo by John Hannah.
A sign of spring in the BC backcountry: when pet turkeys from neighbouring properties stroll over to your garden–just because they can. Photo by John Hannah.
A sign of spring: crocuses! Photo by John Hannah.
THE BOOKSHELF
Editor Joy Tataryn reviews a book of writer- and editorcentric essays by Marcia Riefer Johnston.
COPY EDITORS TAKE TO THE STREETS?
Yikes! Have stressed-out copy editors turned to violence?
WINTER WORD ART
Word Art gets into the advice business, sharing a tip on what to do if you ever find yourself buried under an avalanche.
BOOKSHELF: MORE MINI BOOK-REVIEWS
More three- to five-word book reviews of Christmas gift-worthy books.
“HARK! THE HARRIED EDITORS SING!” (LYRICS)
It’s time for West Coast Editor’s annual, editing-themed Christmas carol. This year’s panegyric to editors is sung to the tune of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!”
OED CROWDSOURCING REDUX
In 1859, the British and American public was called upon to crowdsource what would eventually become the Oxford English Dictionary. The call has gone out again.
Winter sky. Photo by John Hannah.
MACMILLAN STOPS PRESSES
Starting next year, Macmillan’s range of dictionaries will only be available online. Could the Oxford English Dictionary—still available in print—be far behind?
BOOKSHELF: MINI BOOK-REVIEWS
Three- to five-word book reviews of Christmas-gift-worthy books.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN! (SLIDE SHOW)
Check out this Halloween-themed slide show. Conceit: pumpkins love punctuation.
“THE HISTORY OF ENGLISH” (VIDEO)
Love history, the English language, surreal comedy, and voice-over artists with Oxford English accents? Check out this video: “The History of English in Ten Minutes.”
Autumn is here. It’s time to nap. Photo by John Hannah.
SEMICOLONS: AIDS OR AFFECTATIONS (POLL)
West Coast Editor wants to know your opinion about semicolons and their place in online writing. Are they essential aids to understanding or mere affectations?
BUYING TWITTER FOLLOWERS: A PENNY A PERSON
Psst! Have you heard? Many people, including politicians, celebrities, and reality-show hopefuls (but, we hope, not editors), are buying “large blocks of Twitter followers.”
TROUBLING TRENDLET: GROUPING BOOKS BY COLOUR
In what can only be a sign of the decline of Western Civilization, there’s “a trendlet … kicking up dust on decor sites: grouping books on the shelf according to hue.”
Photo by Cheryl Hannah.
“THE APOSTROPHE SONG” (VIDEO)
In honour of National Punctuation Day, we present “The Apostrophe Song,” a song that aims to “put the apostrophe back in its place.”
CONTEST: POETRY AND SHORT STORY
The Vancouver Writers Fest is holding a poetry and short story contest. Entries are being accepted for unpublished work in two categories: poetry and creative short fiction.
TEST: ARE YOU A HOPELESS BOOKWORM?
Editors are bookworms. Hopeless bookworms. Take this 13-question self-diagnostic test to determine exactly how “hopeless” your book-loving condition is.
OVERWROUGHT WRITING WINS PRIZE
The contest that awards overwrought writing is back: the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Since 1982, the English department at San José State University has sponsored the contest, one that challenges writers to compose an opening sentence to the “worst of all possible novels.”
