Category Archives: What People Are Reading

Words of the World: A Global History of the Oxford English Dictionary

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Ed Battistella

Sarah Ogilvie’s Words of the World: A Global History of the Oxford English Dictionary begins by describing her entry into the quiet world of the OED. She had come from of Australian branch of Oxford dictionaries, was a rare linguist … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, What People Are Reading | Comments Off on Words of the World: A Global History of the Oxford English Dictionary

The Story of Ain’t

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Ed Battistella

David Skinner’s The Story of Ain’t ain’t just about ain’t. It’s the tale of the making of Webster’s Third International Dictionary, the wonderfully controversial flashpoint in the cultural wars between realists and snoots. I wondered what Skinner would add to … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, What People Are Reading | Comments Off on The Story of Ain’t

2012 favorites

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Ed Battistella

I asked some Literary Ashlanders about their favorite books of 2012. Here are some of their replies: Patty Wixon: We the Animal s by Justin Torres. Vince Wixon: The Richard Pevear/Larissa Volokhonsky translation of Anna Karenina. Don Morris: favorite non-fiction: … Continue reading →

Posted in What People Are Reading | Comments Off on 2012 favorites

Double the Evil–Chelsea Cain and James Lee Burke

Posted on August 19, 2012 by Ed Battistella

After my vacation, I settled down to 900 pages of stay-up-late pure evil with James Lee Burke’s Creole Belle and Chelsea Cain’s Kill You Twice. Thrills and suspense right up until the end. I’ve said it before: nobody quite writes … Continue reading →

Posted in What People Are Reading | Comments Off on Double the Evil–Chelsea Cain and James Lee Burke