A Dash of Style

The Art and Mastery of Punctuation

4.22 based on 46 reviews.

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Paperback Book

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Product Description

"Takes the straitjacket off punctuation....Lukeman's wit and insight make this an instant classic."--M. J. Rose
The first practical and accessible guide to the art of punctuation for creative writers. Punctuation reveals the writer: haphazard commas, for example, reveal haphazard thinking; clear, lucid breaks reveal clear, lucid thinking. Punctuation can be used to teach the writer how to think and how to write. This short, practical book shows authors the benefits that can be reaped from mastering punctuation: the art of style, sentence length, meaning, and economy of words. There are full-length chapters devoted to the period, the comma, the semicolon, the colon, quotation marks, the dash and parentheses, the paragraph and section break, and a cumulative chapter on integrating them all into "The Symphony of Punctuation." Filled with exercises and examples from literary masters (Why did Poe and Melville rely on the semicolon? Why did Hemingway embrace the period?), "A Dash of Style" is interactive, highly engaging, and a necessity for creative writers as well as for anyone looking to make punctuation their friend instead of their mysterious foe.

Product Details

  • Media: Paperback Book, 206 pages
  • Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (Apr. 30th, 2007)
  • ISBN-10: 0393329801
  • ISBN-13: 9780393329803
  • Dimensions: 5.56 x 7.78 x 0.52 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 0.39 lbs

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Customer Reviews

  • Book Rating 4 out of 5
    Read Reviews on Goodreads

    by Angela from The United States | Jul 20, 2008

    This was a gift from Diane Croft, on my leaving National Braille Press for Pearson Education.

    This book was written for creative writers. It goes through each of the common punctuation marks, and describes, not the rules for when and how to deploy them, but why you might want to use them. It describes the pace and feeling suggested by the various punctuation marks, and gives insight into how a reader might take one versus another choice. It gives examples of how well-respected writers have used punctuation to support the mood they were creating in various works.

    An interesting book, and I’m glad it’s out there—-I hope many people read it. I didn’t feel like I personally “learned” much from it, as I already often use punctuation consciously as he describes.



  • Book Rating 5 out of 5
    Read Reviews on Goodreads

    by Jinxi from Corona, CA | Dec 29, 2009

    Noah Lukeman makes punctuation fun. He doesn't lay out rules for punctuation like other books I have read, but rather helps you to assess if you are using each mark properly in terms of frequency and context. He uses excellent examples and keeps the whole tone upbeat, instead of making you feel like an inept "punctuater."

    An easy and fun read.



  • Book Rating 3 out of 5
    Read Reviews on Goodreads

    by Diana from The United States | Jul 6, 2010

    This book is great for fiction writers. I especially liked the "what this punctuation reveals about you" parts. A good companion to "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves."



  • Book Rating 5 out of 5
    Read Reviews on Goodreads

    by Wendy from Portland, OR | Oct 15, 2009

    This is my new favorite book! It gave me a whole new appreciate for paragraph and section breaks. My world has been changed forever.



  • Book Rating 4 out of 5
    Read Reviews on Goodreads

    by Virtuedaniel from The United States | Mar 15, 2010


    This is a great book about punctuation. I would recommend to anyone who wants to write creatively.



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