BTT: Manual Labour

Writing guides, grammar books, punctuation how-tos . . . do you read them? Not read them? How many writing books, grammar books, dictionaries–if any–do you have in your library?

I took a look, and I have five of the above on the shelves in my room:

1. Student’s Guide for Writing College Papers, by Kate L. Thurman (1963)
2. Eats, Shoots & Leaves, by Lynne Truss (2004)
3. Roget’s Thesaurus, by Peter Mark Roget (1972)
4. The Elements of Style, 2nd Edition, by Strunk and White (1972)
5. The Elements of Style, 3rd Edition, by Strunk and White (1979)

Those are the goods, and the bulk of them are not exactly in date — but then again, things like thesauri and style manuals don’t really go out of date, either. Unless they’re published by the MLA, because they’re all about updating their handbook and making you buy new ones. (But I get around that, via the intertubes: Purdue has a great online MLA thingy-thing, as well as a funny name. Puuurrrrrduuuue).

As to how often these are accessed … let me think. Eats, Shoots & Leaves I read when it first came out, and maybe once or twice in the intervening years. It’s pretty funny, for a grammar treatise.

I’m pretty sure that I haven’t touched Roget’s Thesaurus since about grade eight.

The Student’s Guide I brought back with me from my grandmother’s house last summer, but I don’t think that I have really used it — I’ve flicked through it a couple of times, but I’ve been writing university papers for three years now, and so a lot in there (“Using the Library,” “Evaluating Source Materials,” etc.) I’ve either already been taught or have already figured out on my own. One of my brothers is starting university this fall, though, and so perhaps I will pass it on to him.

Lastly, I have Strunk and White, two editions thereof. I’ve read one of them, although I do not remember which it was. I think the earlier edition — the 3rd edition has a price sticker on the front ($0.50) which means it much be the one I picked up in the bargain basement of my favourite bookstore. Come to think of it, maybe I got that one for my brother as well.

Clearly, I don’t refer to these texts particularly often — but as with most of the books in my library, I like that they’re there when I need them.

In terms of dictionaries, I tend to use the online versions. I will use Miriam-Webster for my day-to-day needs, and when I want to look up something really interesting, I use the OED Online. I adore the OED, and get a free subscription to it through school (which is good, because the personal subscription costs $300/yr!).

We do have large Webster’s Dictionary (1980 edition). I like the reference material at the back, which is often quite humourous. I particularly enjoy the long section on names. It gives lots of advice on naming one’s children:

Watch the Initials. The initials of a name should not form unpleasant or undignified words. Martin Ulysses Taylor is sure to be nicknamed “Mutt,” and Sydney Alfred Lee will doubtless be known as “Sally.”

and

Here’s to the Mothers! But after all these do’s and dont’s and warnings, we come back to where we started — to the good judgment and loving care of the mothers. Here’s to the mothers! May they name their infants as they please — and my they please to accept this dictionary in the friendly spirit in which it is offered.

Pure gold.