A Dash of Style
by Noah Lukeman
Published by Norton/Atlas Books
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Subtitled: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation
As a writer, editor and business-writing trainer, A Dash of Style really made me look at punctuation with a closer eye. The author's clear explanation of the nuances of various punctuation has opened my thinking.
A book about punctuation could be very "English class" topic, but knowing how to use punctuation right--or effectively--is important in both business and creative writing.
Years ago I taught Junior Great Books to elementary-grade readers. They were "the classics," written by ancient, unnamed authors. Obviously these learned writers worked very hard to use "the right word" to make their stories as strong and lasting as they are.
A Dash of Style shows writers of all levels that the right punctuation in the right place can and does change the content, the effectiveness and power of the message.
Written for the creative writer--novelists, short story writers, poets and memorists--the author starts the book writing about the period. He describes each punctuation mark as follows, and these descriptions really clarify the proper use.
Period -- the stop sign
Comma -- the speed bump
Semicolon -- the bridge
Colon- the magician
Dash -- the interrupter
Parentheses -- the advisor
Quotation mark -- the trumpet
Paragraph -- the stoplight
Section break -- the town line
Exclamation mark (to be used sparingly)
Question mark (to be used sparingly)
The author clearly explains about the use and overuse of each punctuation mark. When I edit every Armchair Interview review, I edit for clarity, length, and most often, misused punctuation (too many or not enough). Sometimes I add dashes (--) for emphasis, but for other reviewers who use -- instead of any other punctuation -- well, ... " : .';!,? all come into play.
Armchair Interviews says: If you care about the power of creative writing, this book is for you. If you want to learn how to use punctuation more effectively, this book is certainly for you