All editors have favorite grammar and style references, along with an assortment of dictionaries and specialized resources that help them solve tricky problems of grammar and syntax. Although many of these manuals and style guides are now available online or as e-resources, most editors still rely on an assortment of physical books. Here are a few of the go-to classics on my bookshelf:
♦ The Copyeditor’s Handbook, by Amy Einsohn and Marilyn Schwartz (4th edition, 2019; a comprehensive editing resource that can be read cover to cover or dipped into as necessary for guidance on grammar, style, and the editing process in general)
♦ Dreyer’s English, by Benjamin Dreyer (2019; subtitled “an utterly correct guide to clarity and style”; a reminder of why the world needs editors, by the copy chief of Random House)
♦ The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage, by Theodore M. Bernstein (2nd edition, 1995; Bernstein was chief of the copy desk for The New York Times, and his book is unmatched for its delightful assortment of entries extolling good writing while advocating against too-rigid rules of grammar)
♦ The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White (4th edition, 1999; worth rereading every few years as a refresher)
♦ Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing, by Claire Kehrwald Cook (1985; the former editorial director of the MLA, Cook wrote the book to show readers “how to make what you say as good as what you mean” — which she does using careful explanations and hundreds of examples)
♦ Medical English Usage and Abusage, by Edith Schwager (1991; hailed as the grande dame of medical editors when she died in 2012, Schwager filled her book with easy-to-read advice, and it remains a valuable guide for anyone who edits medical copy)
BOOKSHELF ENVY
John Adams Building | Library of Congress
Built between 1928 and 1938, the Adams Building was intended as a “functional and efficient bookstack” to hold the rapidly expanding collection of the Library of Congress, then housed in the neighboring Jefferson Building. The metrics are astonishing: Its 180 miles of shelving hold 10 million volumes in 12 tiers of stacks that extend from the cellar to the fourth floor, with each tier providing about 13 acres of shelf space. (Sources: Library of Congress, Architect of the Capitol) And the decorative details within and without are an artistic treasure, as well. They’re featured throughout my website.
(All photographs of the Adams Building and Library of Congress interiors by Carol M. Highsmith, collection of the Library of Congress)
D Frassetto Editorial 