& Resources
These readings and resources are selected to stimulate class discussion and to further our understanding of course topics. My selection of a link is not necessarily an endorsement of the author's work.
Columns and Blogs
After Deadline is a weekly newsroom critique of grammar, usage, and style in The New York Times.
Grammar Girl offers weekly 5-minute podcasts (also available in print transcripts) with "quick and dirty tips" on grammar, usage, and mechanics.
In The Web of Language, linguistics professor Dennis Baron blogs about language in the news.
News and Human Interest
- Christian, "Online Dating Advice: Exactly What to Say in a First Message"
- Hepola, "Is the Semicolon Girlie?"
- Wikipedia, Le Train de Nulle Part (a.k.a. a verbless novel)
- Landau, "On Twitter, is it 'he or she' or 'they' or ip'?"
- Wood, "Verbage: The Republican War on Words" (Know a piece that does similar analysis of Democrats' language? Send me the link.)
- Fish, "Barak Obama's Prose Style"
- Cratty, Hayes, & Gast, "DEA Wants to Hire Ebonics Translators"
- The Sydney Morning Herald, "Bible cre8td for a nu wrl: testaments by SMS"
Lesson & Tutorial Links
Grammar Girl, "Lay vs. Lie"
Schneider, "Sit or Set--Does it Matter?"
Phrasal Verbs Dictionary
Spangler, "Analyzing Grammar Pet Peeves"
Lindblom & Dunn, "Analyzing Grammar Rants"
Repetition & Major Topics Analysis via Wordle
Tone and Diction samples for analysis
Florey, "Diagramming Sarah"
Brickley, "Sarah Palin for Vice President"
