Delightful! Thoroughly so, LeeAnn. I come from an old school approach to teaching and understanding American English. My mom, an English major (minor in French) in college recited portions of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in Middle English, as she worked in the home. My high school, notwithstanding being in a poor rural location, offered we “college preppers” a year of parts of speech, diagramming sentences, punctuation marks, etc. Actual literature instruction involved the greats. Shakespeare in particular. Today? Retired and a complaining body. Details unimportant. I’ve come to love so many in my Substack community. Some days I just wonder around. That’s how this unintended crossing of paths occurred. So glad for the occurrence.
Thanks, Gary. I remember having to read the Canterbury Tales in Middle English and Beowulf in Old English in college. My mom was an English major and an English teacher.
Dear LeeAnn: I love this! As someone obsessed with the semicolon and teaching punctuation in general, I couldn't resist: I just ordered your chapbook! Can't wait! So glad I stumbled across your Substack! 😊🙏🏻
Wonderful post and I just ordered the chapbook. My favorite is the period, mostly because of its power to end a sentence quietly but firmly, with no fanfare, no drama (!) and no questions.
LeeAnn! Congratulations on your chapbook! That's so exciting. :) (And thank you for the mention. I'm honored you enjoy my newsletter.)
I love your poem, and the whole idea behind this project. My personal favorite punctuation mark is the em dash. Controversial, I know, but I love its versatility. I find it to be the most improvisational of all punctuation marks — it can borrow (without replacing) the feeling of a comma, a parenthesis, or even a semi-colon! The em dash does the heavy lifting in helping me write how I think and speak.
Absolutely. It is definitely the most versatile mark of punctuation because it really contains the other punctuation marks. And it’s more powerful than an ellipsis.
Punctuation poetry reminds me a little of e e cummings... "the semicolon is a Buddha" is a lovely thought. Thank you!
How thrilling to have your chapbook out, LeeAnn! So happy for you.
(And thank you for the mention as well!)
Delightful! Thoroughly so, LeeAnn. I come from an old school approach to teaching and understanding American English. My mom, an English major (minor in French) in college recited portions of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, in Middle English, as she worked in the home. My high school, notwithstanding being in a poor rural location, offered we “college preppers” a year of parts of speech, diagramming sentences, punctuation marks, etc. Actual literature instruction involved the greats. Shakespeare in particular. Today? Retired and a complaining body. Details unimportant. I’ve come to love so many in my Substack community. Some days I just wonder around. That’s how this unintended crossing of paths occurred. So glad for the occurrence.
Thanks, Gary. I remember having to read the Canterbury Tales in Middle English and Beowulf in Old English in college. My mom was an English major and an English teacher.
And congratulations on your chapbook!
Thanks!
Dear LeeAnn: I love this! As someone obsessed with the semicolon and teaching punctuation in general, I couldn't resist: I just ordered your chapbook! Can't wait! So glad I stumbled across your Substack! 😊🙏🏻
Thanks so much, Jacob. Isn’t the semicolon awesome!
Wonderful post and I just ordered the chapbook. My favorite is the period, mostly because of its power to end a sentence quietly but firmly, with no fanfare, no drama (!) and no questions.
Thank you so much, Weston! You might be my first sale!
Congratulations, LeeAnn!
Thanks so much, Paul.
LeeAnn! Congratulations on your chapbook! That's so exciting. :) (And thank you for the mention. I'm honored you enjoy my newsletter.)
I love your poem, and the whole idea behind this project. My personal favorite punctuation mark is the em dash. Controversial, I know, but I love its versatility. I find it to be the most improvisational of all punctuation marks — it can borrow (without replacing) the feeling of a comma, a parenthesis, or even a semi-colon! The em dash does the heavy lifting in helping me write how I think and speak.
Absolutely. It is definitely the most versatile mark of punctuation because it really contains the other punctuation marks. And it’s more powerful than an ellipsis.
Oh this has made my heart sing - brilliant, clever poem. Can I order from the UK?
I think so, yes. I can double-check though.
Thanks so much!