WRITING

REVIEWS

Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark

By CECELIA WATSON

Reviewed by David L. Ulin ×

The hybrid punctuation mark has met with resistance from many readers and writers since its invention by an early printer. But the semicolon endures.

GRIN & TONIC

Topic Assignment

By Paula Whyman ×

Homework for the fiction writer.

WRITING

The Art of X-Ray Reading

By ROY PETER CLARK

Reviewed by Mark Athitakis ×

Reading great literature can help us write stronger sentences, says Roy Peter Clark. But, asks Mark Athitakis, is that how we should be reading?

GUEST BOOKS

Mary Norris: On the Job

by The Barnes and Noble Review ×

A reading list of great books about work, from the author of "Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen".

Interviews

Jeff VanderMeer: Wonderbook

A Conversation with Bill Tipper ×

A new book for aspiring writers of fantasy puts the emphasis on the visual.

Reviews & Essays

Mastermind

By MARIA KONNIKOVA

Reviewed by Mark Sarvas ×

Unraveling the mystery of a fictional genius.

Reviews & Essays

The Missing Ink: The Lost Art of Handwriting

By PHILIP HENSHER

Reviewed by Jason Farago ×

A novelist's defense of paper and pen.

Long List

How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One

by James Mustich ×

"Good sentences promise nothing less than lessons and practice in the organization of the world," writes legal scholar and literary theorist Stanley Fish in this jewel of a book, in which the...