Mary norris new yorker book tour

A passion for punctuation meets a love for all things greek the. She cares about grammar without being a purist a hyphen is not a moral issue. Mary norris shares her passionate greek travelogue. Mary norris greek to me highlights the way ardent interests can. Norris embraced the title and chose it for her first book, published in 2015, a lighthearted grammar guide that weaves in autobiography. In greek to me, she delivers another wise and funny paean to the art of selfexpression, this time. I already had the book at home, but i was impressed that anything by woolf.

She has written for the talk of the town and for, on topics ranging from her cousin dennis kucinich to mud wrestling in rockaway. Find mary norriss articles, email address, contact information, twitter and more. She graduated from rutgers university in 1974 and earned a masters degree in english from the university of vermont career. Fortunately, lauded new yorker writer mary norris has a passion for all things greek. Mary norris began working at the new yorker in 1978. Im a new yorker groupie and a grammar nerd, and so i was in heaven reading this book by mary norris, longtime employee of the new yorker copy department. Even so, i didnt begrudge norris for taking me on a delightful tour of the offices of the new yorker, the history of noah webster and his dictionary descendents. In fact, norris study of modern and ancient greek funded by the new yorker was my therapy in those. As one editor intoned, a new yorker writer should not be eating junior mints. Mary norris is a longtime copy editor at the new yorker, and her book takes us on a tour of her life working for that most elegant yet idiosyncratic publication, complete with observations about punctuation, spelling, editorial controversies, and the nature of language itself. But the book between you and me by new yorker copy editor mary norris subtitle.

The comma queen returns with a buoyant book about language, love, and the winedark sea. In greek to me, she delivers another wise and funny paean to the art of selfexpression, this time filtered through her. Started as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is now published 47 times annually, with five of these issues covering twoweek spans. The comma queen from cleveland, mary norris, on working. Over the years, she has mustered her skills in the service of such storied writers as philip roth, pauline kael and george saunders. Mary norris is the author of greek to me and the new york times bestseller. Mary norris has spent more than three decades in the new yorkers copy department, maintaining its celebrated high standards. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is. Norris joined the editorial staff at the new yorker in 1978. Confessions of a comma queen, delighted readers with her irreverent tales of punctuation in the celebrated copy department. Subscribe to the new yorker on youtube to keep up with all of our latest videos and shows. The new yorkers famous comma queen mary norris is happy to be called a pedant just dont call her a grammar nazi.

In conversation with town halls own curator of lectures, edward wolcher, norris explains how. This was way back in the early 70s, and it was really rugged over there, recalled ms. Norris visits city of asylum to read from greek to me, another witty record of her equally passionate fascination with greece. For 20 years, the new yorkers mary norris has been coping with grammar, punctuation and some of the worlds most celebrated writers, as she reveals in this extract from her book.

Originally from cleveland, ohio, she attended rutgers university, in new brunswick, new jersey, and earned a masters in english from the university of vermont. For the author and former new yorker copy editor mary norris, furnishing an apartment is all about the books. Youll learn something about grammar, but also about dictionaries and how to properly sharpen a pencil. A language guide and memoir about life at the new yorker.

Comma queen mary norris is an uncommonly engaging, witty enthusiast with a. In greek to me, she delivers another wise and funny paean to the art of selfexpression, this time filtered through. In her delightful first book, between you and me, a personable fusion of grammar. She is best known for her pieces on pencils and punctuation. Mary norris began working at the new yorker in 1978 and was a query proofreader at the magazine for twentyfour years. Now she brings her vast experience, good cheer, and finely sharpened pencils to help the rest of us in a boisterous language book as full of life as it is of. An american author who fell in love with the greek. Mary norriss greek to me is an exuberant account of a. Reflections on thirty years of copy editing for the new yorker, and breaking through as a writer with blogs and now a book on commas, semicolons, and all things grammar. After graduating from rutgers university in 74, she received a masters in english at the university of vermont. In greek to me, she delivers another wise and witty paean to the art of.

In that time, shes gotten a reputation for sternness and for being a comma maniac, but this is unfounded, she says. She was on her way home from 25 west fortythird street, new york city. Mary norris began working at the new yorker in 1978 and was a. I am mary norris, longtime copy editor for the new yorker. April 3, 2015 eavesdropping the new yorkers comma queen comes out from the margins. As a copy editor at the new yorker, norris became a doyenne of dashes and diaereses, those double dots over adjacent vowels that we i. Confessions of a comma queen and copy editor at the new yorker, returns to her home town for a book signing and. Mary norris, the new yorkers comma queen, talks about. An instant classic about learning ancient greek the new yorker. Adventures of the comma queen, by mary norris by elfrieda abbe, star. Norris tells of the night she mopped up after lillian rosss poodle, goldie. But the book between you and me by new yorker copy editor mary norris.

Copy editing for the new yorker is like playing shortstop for a major league baseball team every little movement gets picked over by the critics, says mary norris, who has played the position for more than thirty years. Mary norris the new york times, the wall street journal. Mary norris muses on a lifetime of literary vigilance in. Mary norris born february 7, 1952 is an american author, writer and copy editor for the new yorker. In greek to me, she delivers a delightful paean to the art of selfexpression through accounts of her solo adventures in the land of.

Use space bar to pause or play, and up and down arrows to control volume. Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books. Mary norris at work in her new yorker office circa 2009. Mary norris reflections on thirty years of copy editing for the new yorker, and breaking through as a writer with blogs and now a book on commas, semicolons, and all. On friday, april 17, jhc will welcome bestselling author mary norris, a writer for the new yorker whose most recent book is greek to me, a charming memoir of her passion for all things greek a subject close to our hearts as stewards of the 1838 greek revival peter augustus jay mansion register now by clicking here. Even so, i didnt begrudge norris for taking me on a delightful tour of the offices of the new yorker, the history of noah webster and his dictionary. The new yorkers comma queen comes out from the margins. She has been a query proofreader at the magazine since 1993. Mary norris settled into her 30year new yorker copyediting post almost by accident and after a picaresque series of occupations ranging from checking feet at a cleveland swimming pool to driving a milk truck. Mary norris takes on a grammar rule that has become the subject of passionate debate among scholars, journalists, and copy editors. Her favourite pencil used to be the dixon ticonderoga no. Adventures of the comma queen mary norris in conversation with gregory maguire. She recently published her new book greek to me adventures of the comma queen, where she narrates the extraordinary adventure she undertook when she decided to learn the greek language. I always forget that, in the popular imagination, the copy editor is a bit of a witch, and it surprises me when someone is afraid of me.

Mary norris is an american author who learned the greek language during her twentyfouryear career at the famous new yorker magazine. Norris began her comma career in the new yorkers editorial library. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the literary events calendar can help you find your audience. Mary norris reflections on thirty years of copy editing for the new yorker, and breaking through as a writer with blogs and now a book. Eager to try new york on for size, mary norris spent the summer after her junior year at rutgers in a sublet on ninth street between avenues b and c. One of the most satisfying accounts of a great passion that i have ever read. She joins us to share excerpts from her book greek to me, drawing on a lifelong love affair with words and her solo adventures in the land of olive trees and ouzo. How i proofread my way to philip roths heart books. On friday, april 17, jhc will welcome bestselling author mary norris, a writer for the new yorker whose most recent book is greek to me, a charming memoir of her passion for all things greek a subject close to our hearts as stewards of the 1838 greek revival peter augustus jay mansion. Mary norris with edward wolcher 51 town hall seattle. Not long ago, a young editorial assistant getting her first tour of the new yorker offices paused at my door to be introduced, and when she heard i was a copy editor she jumped back, as if i might poke her with a redhot hyphen or forcefeed her a pound of. The new yorker is an american magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry.