The Subversive Copy Editor (by Carol Fisher Saller)

 Because I'm a total N-E-R-D, I sometimes like to read about grammar and the best practices for writing and editing.  When I was younger I used to actually debate my step-dad about issues of grammar because much of it simply didn't make sense.  By the time I made it to high school and college, I decided to tackle the issue head-on by learning a foreign language (German) and learning the second language helped me understand that I'd been right all of those years:  English grammar is simply crazy, especially compared to other languages. I still find myself stumped by grammar at times, but rather than viewing it as a nemesis, I've taken the perspective that it's simply like a tricky and sometimes fickle friend and it just takes more studying to understand this friend's perspective. This shift had to happen in order to become comfortable with not simply always knowing the answer, and I think that because of this potential for mystery, I'm still reading and researching about grammar on my own time. This affinity may explain why I teach English despite hating grammar throughout elementary and high school.

Partially because of my interest in grammar and my role teaching English, I've gained the reputation for really knowing and enjoying grammar.  And, when I don't know it, my students know I'll look it up or make them look it up, but they also know that I'm willing to let them experiment with style. I try to remind them that grammar is an ever-changing creature, especially with factors like technology and pop-culture influencing word usage and structure. 

I think I enjoyed The Subversive Copy Editor for this reason; it didn't take itself too seriously.  Carol Fisher Saller poked fun at both herself and at the editor stereotype, by feeding in to it and also by subverting it by assuring aspiring editors that it's sometimes ok not to fixate on an issue.  Sometimes that argument just isn't worth it and it's all about knowing when to drop it.  This book isn't a handbook for grammar, but it is a book of recommendations for dealing with the text and most importantly, for dealing with the people connected with the text (other editors, the writers and any supervisors).  It's not a grammar book as much as a "people-book" for those with grammar-based jobs.

A few things I learned?  "Stet" means "as it stands." (I believe in Latin... if I'm remembering correctly?)  This is basically the term that editors use to tell others that the correction needs to revert back to the original text.  More than anything, I just enjoyed the new word and seeing it repeatedly in context in order to solidify it into my vocabulary "schema."  What else did I learn?  I was reminded of the importance of logging tasks accomplished in order to bill clients accordingly.  It seems so basic, but at the end of the day it's an easy thing to forget to do.  Particularly when there's a new to-do list waiting to be accomplished, it's easy to put the basic paperwork on "the back burner" because you'll remember how many hours you've logged... right?... RIGHT?

Overall, the book was a solid little read that worked well in 20 page chunks and at about 120 pages, it was a palette cleansing read.  It was exactly what I needed to clear my mind of other recent reading failures in order to look at my stack of books with a fresh and open perspective.