Punctuation by Thomas Lewis, Helen DeWitt, Cormac McCarthy, & J.K. Rowling

Punctuation: Exercises & Discussion of Readings
1.) I have attached files on punctuation by Thomas Lewis, Helen DeWitt, Cormac McCarthy, & J.K. Rowling. Please read those and then respond to the questions below:
? In “Notes on Punctuation” by Lewis Thomas, how would you describe the author’s
attitude toward punctuation in general?
? Identify one or two passages that you find most memorable from Thomas’s writing
about punctuation and explain why you chose these passages.
? For Thomas, writing is an important passion and focus. Name an activity that you
care about or participate in, and then identify details or specifics of the activity that
others might not notice but that are important to you and other participants.
? Why do you think Thomas cares enough about punctuation to write an essay like this?

2.) After you read Helen DeWitt’s “Cormac McCarthy & the semicolon,” please respond to the questions below:
? How would you describe DeWitt’s attitude towards punctuation in general?
? Identify one or two passages that you find most memorable from DeWitt’s writing
about punctuation and explain why you chose these passages.
? For DeWitt, writing is an important passion and focus. Name an activity that you care about or participate in, and then identify details or specifics of the activity that others might not notice but that are important to you and other participants.
? Why do you think DeWitt cares enough about punctuation to write an essay like this?

3.) J. K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter novels. The exercise on the handout is addressed to groups of students working together. Please ignore the group references and focus on the questions on your own. The instructions ask you to read a short passage aloud and then pick three punctuation marks (author’s choices):
? How did the punctuation choices that you examined add to the tone, mood, or meaning of the passage?
? Rowling’s passage is fiction. Why might this genre call for different types and uses of punctuation than non-fiction does? Which marks of punctuation are used more often in certain genres and less in others?
? Now that you are familiar with authors who have strong opinions about the appropriate use of punctuation, what do you think Rowling’s opinion would be?