Patricia T. O'Conner
Encyclopedia
Patricia T. O’Conner is the author of five books about the English language
. A former editor at the New York Times Book Review, she appears monthly on WNYC
as the language maven for the Leonard Lopate
Show. 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. She graduated from Grinnell College
in 1971 with a BA in philosophy, and received an honorary degree from Grinnell in 2006.
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)
On Language: All-Purpose Pronoun, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, July 21, 2009.
On Language: Like, New York Times, July 15, 2007.
On Language: Virtual, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Aug. 11, 2002.
On Language: Grammar Cops, New York Times, Sept. 7, 1997.
On Language: Breaking the Rules, New York Times, July 28, 1996.
On Language: Spine Tinglers, New York Times, Aug. 27, 1995.
Book Review: Speech Crimes, New York Times, March 11, 2007).
Book Review: Mr. Darcy Is a Boorish Snob. Please Discuss, New York Times, May 2, 2004.
Book Review: Grisly Pictures From an Institution, New York Times, Dec. 7, 2003.
Book Review: Wigged Out?, New York Times, Dec. 8, 2002.
Book Review: Zo. Qi. Doh. Hoo. Qursh., New York Times, Aug. 26, 2001.
Book Review: Party Girl, New York Times, Jan. 23, 2000.
Op-Ed: The I’s Have It, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Feb. 23, 2009.
Week in Review: It’s Just Fine to Boldly Go, New York Times, Nov. 1, 1998.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. A former editor at the New York Times Book Review, she appears monthly on WNYC
WNYC
WNYC is a set of call letters shared by a pair of co-owned, non-profit, public radio stations located in New York City.WNYC broadcasts on the AM band at 820 kHz, and WNYC-FM is at 93.9 MHz. Both stations are members of National Public Radio and carry distinct, but similar news/talk programs...
as the language maven for the Leonard Lopate
Leonard Lopate
Leonard Lopate is host of the public radio talk show The Leonard Lopate Show, broadcast on WNYC. He first broadcast on WKCR, the college radio station of Columbia University—where his brother Phillip was a student—then later at WBAI, before ultimately moving to WNYC. -Biography:Lopate came to...
Show. She has written extensively for the New York Times, including On Language
On Language
On Language was a regular column in the weekly New York Times Magazine on the English language discussing popular etymology, new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics. The inaugural column was published on February 18, 1979 and it was a regular popular feature...
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. She graduated from Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
in 1971 with a BA in philosophy, and received an honorary degree from Grinnell in 2006.
Books
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)
Articles
A selection of articlesOn Language: All-Purpose Pronoun, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, July 21, 2009.
On Language: Like, New York Times, July 15, 2007.
On Language: Virtual, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Aug. 11, 2002.
On Language: Grammar Cops, New York Times, Sept. 7, 1997.
On Language: Breaking the Rules, New York Times, July 28, 1996.
On Language: Spine Tinglers, New York Times, Aug. 27, 1995.
Book Review: Speech Crimes, New York Times, March 11, 2007).
Book Review: Mr. Darcy Is a Boorish Snob. Please Discuss, New York Times, May 2, 2004.
Book Review: Grisly Pictures From an Institution, New York Times, Dec. 7, 2003.
Book Review: Wigged Out?, New York Times, Dec. 8, 2002.
Book Review: Zo. Qi. Doh. Hoo. Qursh., New York Times, Aug. 26, 2001.
Book Review: Party Girl, New York Times, Jan. 23, 2000.
Op-Ed: The I’s Have It, co-authored by Kellerman, New York Times, Feb. 23, 2009.
Week in Review: It’s Just Fine to Boldly Go, New York Times, Nov. 1, 1998.