Patricia T. O’Conner (born February 19, 1949) is the author of five books about the English language.[1] A former editor at the New York Times Book Review, she appears monthly on WNYC as the language maven for the Leonard Lopate Show.[2] She has written extensively for the New York Times, including On Language columns, book reviews, and articles for the Op-Ed page and the Week in Review section.
She and Stewart Kellerman (her husband and co-author on several books and articles) answer questions about the English language on The Grammarphobia Blog.[3] She graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 with a BA in philosophy, and received an honorary degree from Grinnell in 2006.[4]
Contents |
Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English (Riverhead, 3rd ed., 2010, ISBN 978-1-57322-331-7)
Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language, co-authored by Kellerman (Random House, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8129-7810-0)
Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English (Putnam, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-24331-8)
You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online, co-authored by Kellerman (Harcourt, 2002, ISBN 978-0156027335)
Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing (Harcourt, 1999, ISBN 978-0156010870)
A selection of articles
On Language: All-Purpose Pronoun, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, July 21, 2009.[5]
On Language: Like, New York Times, July 15, 2007.[6]
On Language: Virtual, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Aug. 11, 2002.[7]
On Language: Grammar Cops, New York Times, Sept. 7, 1997.[8]
On Language: Breaking the Rules, New York Times, July 28, 1996.[9]
On Language: Spine Tinglers, New York Times, Aug. 27, 1995.[10]
Book Review: Speech Crimes, New York Times, March 11, 2007).[11]
Book Review: Mr. Darcy Is a Boorish Snob. Please Discuss, New York Times, May 2, 2004.[12]
Book Review: Grisly Pictures From an Institution, New York Times, Dec. 7, 2003.[13]
Book Review: Wigged Out?, New York Times, Dec. 8, 2002.[14]
Book Review: Zo. Qi. Doh. Hoo. Qursh., New York Times, Aug. 26, 2001.[15]
Book Review: Party Girl, New York Times, Jan. 23, 2000.[16]
Op-Ed: The I’s Have It, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Feb. 23, 2009.[17]
Week in Review: It’s Just Fine to Boldly Go, New York Times, Nov. 1, 1998.[18]