Rebuttal: Why the Oxford Comma is NOT Necessary

By Liz Brossard

I am a product of the Journalism industry and I will fight tooth and nail to keep the oxford comma out of my writing, my co-workers writing and really anyone I come in contact with.

Sara wrote a nice little blog post all about how the oxford comma is necessary. I am here to explain why she is completely and utterly wrong. 

First of all, they don’t use it in another English-speaking country, The United Kingdom. Not to say that they are the end-all-be-all of grammar, but it should be noted that our language did sort of derive from them.

But then you are going to tell me, “The oxford comma came from Oxford University Press.” And my response will be, “Yes, but most Brits did not adopt it and Oxford University doesn’t even use it anymore.” I guess I have gotten off topic. Back to why the Oxford comma is arbitrary.

The Associated Press, New York Times and The Economist are all against the oxford comma due to its redundancy and the ambiguity it can cause. Yes, part of the reason for eliminating the oxford comma in AP Style comes from the fact that it takes up more room, and when you have a certain word count it is a waste of space. But in MOST cases, it doesn’t make any sentence more or less clear.

Take the first sentence of this post as an example. Did it confuse you? Did you find yourself thinking that “my co-workers writing and really anyone I come in contact with” too confusing to comprehend without a comma?

Likely not, and that’s because the Oxford comma is unnecessary. 

Oxford Commas & Why We Need Them

By Sara E Thompto

I, Sara Thompto, have a problem. A comma problem. I love a good comma, and use them whenever possible. Particularly the Oxford Comma, otherwise known as the Serial Comma.

As a journalism student I was taught not to use this comma - the Associate Press style manual warns against using it. In the world of journalism people tend to cut out commas whenever possible. Anything considered fluffy or unneeded should be the first thing to go to save space.

Then again, journalism is about being concise, not excessive, and  I’ll admit, the Oxford comma is all about the excess. Well, it may encourage excess anyway, as it only occurs during the listing of 3 or more terms.  

But, now that I’m not a journalism student anymore, I am a firm believer in the Oxford Comma. The Oxford Comma is all about saving confusion, something I’m a fan of doing. It takes a sentence that could be full of ambiguity and transforms it into something that just makes sense.

Take the magazine cover shown here. The cover reads:

Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.  

This is obviously missing more than one comma, and should read:

Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking, her family, and her dog.

With the Oxford Comma in place it no longer seems like Ms. Ray is going to cook her family and dog. It just makes sense.

So the next time you ask yourself, “Should I put a comma there,” consider, what is more harmful:  a comma, or cooking your family.

*Image from Buzz Feed article, 22 Reasons Why Commas Are The Most Important Things in the World.

Series 2, Post 2: I shop where I shop. Don't hate.

By Kristin Bivens

In the next city over, there used to be a Border’s book store. When I became an avid reader, I went to Border’s almost every day with my coupon and member card in hand. I had to pass Barnes and Noble on the way to Border’s, but I rarely stopped in.

For me, back then, Barnes and Noble was too big, it was too confusing. I knew where everything was in Border’s and the traffic wasn’t nearly as horrible in the parking lot.

When I was living in downtown Chicago, Barnes and Noble was closer to my dorm room so I frequented the store, but it was smaller and everywhere in Chicago was busy, so it didn’t matter where I went. But the Chicago Border’s was still my favorite. It was nestled right on the corner of the street, with three levels. It was always busy. I could look out and see the cars buzzing by and the street lights changing from red to green. It was the perfect spot to sit in a window sill in the history section (it wasn’t nearly as busy there) and crack open a book.

Several years after moving back to my Michigan area, the local Border’s (along with all the other ones) announced it would be closing.  I was devastated. That was my place. That was my favorite bookstore, hands down. I had finally started paying for my membership there. I was dedicated to the cause. But, sadly, my friend Sarah P. and I couldn’t keep it afloat alone. So, I took extreme advantage of all the sales and clearances, filling up my bookshelf while I could.

I was reluctant to make my big box store switch to the only one left in town- Barnes and Noble. It took some warming up, but finally I decided to buy a membership. It, honestly, felt like I was betraying Border’s. But, I thought maybe my twenty five dollars towards and Barnes and Noble would help the economy and help the bookstore survive. 

I have bought books online, and I’ve bought books from the little used bookstore down the street from my house, but I love going into stores like Barnes and Noble so I can see all my options. I can’t get the same experience on Amazon. I’m a judge a book by its cover type of person so when I see a cool cover, I pick up the book to see what it’s about. I need the visual experience. Plus, it is easier to go to a section and see what books are new. I can’t stand going through the Amazon suggestions. But I have been known to put a book on my list that I saw at the bookstore and then go buy the cheaper version off of Amazon.

Now, I’m a full convert who has a Nook application on my Google Nexus. I have the membership. That’s where I typically go to look for books when I look for books. I want the indie bookstores to survive, and if there were more options around here that I knew about, I’d frequent them more. But the variety at those giant stores really can’t be beat.

So, you’ll excuse me while I beat the horrific mall traffic to look for my next read.

The Goodwill Series: One Fifth Avenue

By Kristin Bivens

I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of money I spend on books because I can get a little out of control. Books have been my money blowing weakness for a while now. So, in an effort to quell my constant need to buy a new book every time I hit up Barnes and Noble, I’ve taken up shopping at the local Goodwill Store.

Books at our Goodwill here in the South West corner of Michigan, are two dollars for a hard cover book and seventy five cents for a paper back. On half off days, the savings gives you the warm and tinglies.

After finishing my David Sedaris book, I started up on a book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. I had tried to start it before but couldn’t dedicate myself to it and started another one, knowing someday I’d come back. Well, I did.

So, I’ve been reading One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell. I’ve never read a Candace Bushnell book before, and probably won’t again. Mostly because it reads a lot like a soap opera and the women kind of bother me. But, I’m still reading it and it is holding my attention. I guess, I’d have to say, I’ve gotten slightly drawn into it.

I picked up the book initially because of the New York setting. After my road trip this past May and my visit to NYC, I’ve been really interested in reading books set in New York, simply because I can recognize the territory a little better than I could before.

One Fifth Avenue is focused on a group of characters, all rich and living in one of the icons of NYC life. I can’t relate to them because their homes are worth millions of dollars. But that’s okay, that part doesn’t bother me. What really gets me about this book is the four main female characters: Schiffer Diamond, Mindy Gooch, Lola Fabrikant, and Annalisa Rice.

Schiffer Diamond is probably the least annoying out of the four them. She is an actress who moves back into One Fifth Avenue and focuses on Phillip Oakland, who lives in the building and once upon a time was her boyfriend. She’s the unreachable trophy, but seems to hold her own. The problem with her is her name, honestly. She’s an object. She is a woman that is mostly in the book to be the trophy for the guy, but could have some more depth to her. She’s really the only woman in the book I’d like to see more depth in.

Mindy Gooch is just…She’s a mess. She’s completely jaded by her less than a millionaire lifestyle, and so far, all she’s done is complain incessantly about it. She’s mad that her husband hasn’t become the successful writer he wanted to be, though she gets jealous when finally, he does get his big break. She hates being married, she hates her job, she hates the people that live in her building. She hates everything. She is the stereotypical, sexless wench. And it drives me insane. Then, of course, there is her husband that is obviously emasculated by such a woman. The whole situation just reeks of stereotypes.

Lola Fabrikant is the complete opposite of Mindy Gooch, but no better of a woman. In fact, I think she is the one I despise the most. Lola is a gold digger, who latches on to Phillip Oakland, some twenty years her senior. She’s a ditz, she’s not very smart but, of course, she’s got the beauty and the body. Once again, we have another object. She’s spoiled, used to her money and there’s no person behind her to back it up. It drives me absolutely crazy how she continues to trick the men in the book into staying with her, or doing what she wants them to do, by taking all her clothes off and making them go weak at the knees. Let’s try something new, why don’t we?

Annalisa Rice isn’t completely unlikeable. She comes from simple means, she just got lucky and married an emerging billionaire. She used to be a lawyer, an admirable career woman, which I like. But now she’s just the typical billionaire wife, trying to climb the social ladder and buying ridiculously expensive art. She knows her husband is no good, his money might not be completely legit, but she just keeps her mouth shut and goes on pretending she actually enjoys being married to this guy. Because, why rock the boat?

So, basically, we have all these women and each one of them has something about them that bothers me. Does the woman that is a bit of a bitch have to have the weak husband? Does the working woman have to be the one that is a bitch? Why doesn’t the lawyer go back to work? Why does the young, pretty girl have to be the gold digger and not have much of a brain? One Fifth Avenue, you baffle me.

Women in stories mean a lot to me, but I also want them to be represented in a way that shows real life, not this stereotypical idea of how a woman should be. Let’s get it together here, people. It is 2014.

Series 2, Post 1: A Small Business with Big Ideas

Now that you know Shiny Happy People a little better, we wanted to give you our vision for our future. Where will you find us? What will we be selling? What do we look like as a company?

To kick off our second mini-series (dealing with big box stores vs. independent bookstores) we at Shiny Happy People Publishing wanted to share our own personal vision of where we see our merchandise being available when our products make their way into stores.

By Sara E Thompto

When dreaming up Shiny Happy People Publishing, I always imagined our products lining the shelves of a small boutique. I can visualize the boutiques I used to wander through while living in Chicago. I can see our products mingling in among the others, and I know that is where our products belong.

It’s the type of store that pulls you in through pretty stationery, gifts, and quirky book titles displayed in the window. In my mind our bright, cheerful, fun products would fit right in there. These small boutiques and independent bookstores could always brighten my day. Our products, by being there, could help brighten someone else’s day.

Of course, I wish for the most success for our products and future authors. So, I occasionally dream of selling our titles to warehouses that supply to national big box stores. The thought makes me excited and I would be thrilled to reach more people and have our company be in more places.

Yet, when I design, I design with small business in mind. When I hold one of our postcards in my hands I visualize someone picking it up while browsing a small boutique, packed with other treasures. And that’s what makes me most happy and most inspired by the products we produce. That’s who we’ll be pushing our products towards. That’s where you’ll find Shiny Happy People Publishing.

By Kristin Bivens

When I think about Shiny Happy People, and where our market is, I think of the companies just like ourselves. Tiptoe and I plan to design stationery, postcards (which, by the way, we’ve been producing non stop) and various other fun “gifts.” But where will we sell them? That’s the big question. 

I picture our designs and our style to reach a very niche market. So, when we go peddling our products, and we will go peddling, I believe we need to focus on small business shops. We need cutesy, funky, modern gift shops. We need book stores who pride themselves on the artists and hipsters that buy their books. We need business owners who are just as passionate about their product as we are ours.

Nowadays, big business is all over. My town has small businesses that are barely open because they cannot be the owner’s sole income. But small businesses, though sometimes few in a town my size, are my favorite. This is where I want to focus my attention. This is what I want Tiptoe and I to be. 

Would we sell to big box stores if they wanted a product line of ours? Well, yes. Why not? But we will never sell our business. Because this is what we love to do. We will stay close to our roots. We aren’t in it for the money (though paying the bills is nice). We are in it for the passion.

In a sense, we are a limited edition.

***Both images shown are original designs by Shiny Happy People Publishing, © 2014.

Coming Soon!

By Kristin Bivens

I wish I could remember how I came up with my book idea. I remember thinking about Sylvia Plath. That’s partially how it came to me. I probably have the “FLASH BOOM BANG I HAVE A BOOK IDEA” written in one of my journals somewhere. I’m not going back to look for it.

I remember that the notebook I started writing it in was red. It was one of those cheapo, back to school deals. On the cover I simply wrote, “The Book.” I started writing it all by hand, but quickly disliked a majority of what I had written. I turned to the computer.

I wrote it all very sporadically. I would get hit with inspiration and write and write and write. Then, consequently, it would sit for months.

When I started dating my boyfriend, Justin, he inspired me to really stick to finishing it. The book had been sitting idle for some time because for the life of me, I could not figure out how to end it.

I racked my brain, talked it over with friends and finally, I had it. I had the most perfect ending I could’ve ever thought up.          

Once again, I was back and writing until I could reach the last word.

After all of that, I printed off copies for a few select people to read. I needed feedback. But I didn’t get much. I decided to change the entire story from first person to third person. 

Smart idea, Kristin. That’ll be super easy. Oh, but it was not so. It was time consuming. When I finally finished the transition, I printed out the book in real book-like form on Blurb. I finally had a title, I had a cover picture. It was like I had published a real life book. Except it was only to get more feedback. I still didn’t get very much. So, I’ve been re-editing the book for over two years now. I’ve gotten just over halfway.

Sometimes it can be so hard to force yourself to write. There’s tv that needs to be watched or houses that need to be cleaned. It is so easy to lose your focus. There’s no discipline with me. I don’t make myself do it if I don’t feel like doing it. That’s a writer’s biggest problem, isn’t it?

But, Die Like You Mean It will be coming soon to Shiny Happy People Publishing. Whether I like it or not! And this year for your Christmas present,  Shiny Happy People brings you a preview of the book! 

Waverley Hathaway always wanted to be a writer, from the time her father said if she worked hard enough, she could be whatever she wanted to be. So when her first published book hit the shelves, she thought all of her dreams had finally come true. However, a year later, everything she worked hard to accomplish is crumbling before her. Her dreams are at a stand still when her publishing company notifies her they will not publish her second book, unless she can some how sell 6,000 copies of her first book, within the next couple months. Desperate to save her dreams, Waverley scrambles for a plan to make people talk... which leads to the death of Waverley.  

Or at least, thats what she wants people to think. 

Putting her plan into motion requires help from a childhood friend, Jack Martin, whose apartment she camps out in for weeks, while people search and wonder "What happened to Waverley Hathaway?" 

However, being dead isn't easy. First there is her loving mom, sister, and best friend and the guilt she has to deal with for putting them through misery while she is missing. Then there is the fact that maybe her and Jack aren't friends; maybe they are something more? Of course it's hard to know when Jack is currently dating someone else, who just happens to be an ex-head cheerleader and overall catch. 

When a wrench gets thrown into Waverley's plan, she thinks it's all over, but she soon finds out it all worked out better than she could have dreamed. 

But, despite her success, Waverley starts to think maybe dreams aren’t everything. Sometimes it is the people that are next to you when your dreams come true that really mean the most. 

Stay tuned for more snippets and talk of Shiny Happy People’s first book (and mine, too!), Die Like You Mean It.”

Merry Christmas to all and to all of you a good night!

Series 1, Post 4: The Most Bang for Your Buck When Choosing an eReader

By Sara E Thompto

I set out to write an article on which eReaders were most worth a purchasers money. So, doing what I do, I went researching about topics like reading ability, how long the battery charge lasts, etc… to find out which eReader would be the most bang for your buck.

Well, during my research I stumbled across this gem: 2014 Best eBook Reader Reviews and Comparisons.

After viewing the chart and all of the information included on their page, I immediately stopped writing. Sometimes you have to know your strengths… and there really is no outdoing the creators of this piece.

The creators, Top Ten Reviews, have a slogan “We do the research so you don’t have to,” and their slogan is complete truth. Their chart (which includes reviews and links) covers everything to help you make your eReader purchasing decision.

So, check it out: 2014 Best eBook Reader Reviews and Comparisons

And, in case you want to skip straight to the result, Top Ten Review's winner is…

Screen Capture from the Top Ten Review website.