Anyone know the name of that handy little red grammar book? It's digest sized and I think it was published by Harcourt and Brace.
posted by zzazazz at 3:10 PM - 4 answers

As a writer trying to press into the next stage of my career, how can I emphasize in my publishing history that "small press" isn't always a euphemism for "vanity press"? [more inside]
posted by 256 at 11:47 AM - 16 answers

I am taking January off work to finish as much of my PhD writing up as I can. I know that I will be totally unproductive if I try and work at home, so am thinking of escaping somewhere (library, hotel, cottage, writing retreat?) for up to four weeks. I’d welcome suggestions, both generic ones about types of locations that have worked for you and also specific suggestions (I live in the UK). I’m thinking that working somewhere with busy but quiet people around would work better for me than total isolation, but am open to any ideas. I don’t need to bring lots of stuff with me and am probably better off without wifi (although internet access requiring a bit of hassle could be useful to check references etc). Money not a particular object as I’m going to have to pay another year’s fees (£3k) if I don’t finish soon, anyway...
posted by janecr at 9:41 AM - 19 answers

Is there a specific word for those rolling, pull-down gates that cover up storefronts in old-school cities (Brooklyn, Barcelona) at night? Here's a picture of the kind of gates I mean. [more inside]
posted by jcruelty at 9:03 PM - 28 answers

I'm looking for a World War 2 essay that may be titled "Missing the War", which is about the difference in perception between how the Second World War was portrayed in the media and how it was for the soldiers involved. [more inside]
posted by codacorolla at 8:18 PM - 7 answers

What are some good books about the history of China, up to say the Qing dynasty? I am particularly interested in the Warring States period up to the first empire. Extra credit for discussions of the spread of Buddhism.
posted by shothotbot at 6:19 PM - 7 answers

I am looking for a book that was used as a textbook for an english composition course at Northeastern University in 1999. The book was a compilation of nature essays including Kerouac. I believe the professor was an adjunct at the time who used the book.
posted by kemah201 at 1:30 PM - 4 answers

Asking for a friend who bought a shirt in Spain which reads "Por crisis alquilo 50% de mi cama". Can anyone translate? [more inside]
posted by nextian_geometry at 11:33 PM - 8 answers

Seeking a poem that relies on the concept of namesaking (ie being named after another person). Maybe in its subject matter, or is by the poet to his/her namesake. It's for my sister, whose daughter is named after our grandmother, to use in a present for our grandmother, so Willa Cather's "The Namesake" is entirely inappropriate (being about a boy soldier!). Could also be a song, or short prose. Ideally a classic poem, ie out of copyright or if not, by someone relatively famous for their poetry. Any ideas?
posted by aeschenkarnos at 7:55 PM - 3 answers

Is there a term which people use to explain why people behave badly/differently in unfamiliar surroundings? For example, tourists behaving badly on vacations.
posted by arcticwoman at 10:01 AM - 20 answers

GrammarFilter: "I want to punch you severely." [more inside]
posted by opossumnus at 4:18 PM - 30 answers

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out this person's name. She says it, right there in plain language, but I just can't catch it. Does the name sound familiar? I kinda think the last name is Gomez, but even that I'm not so sure of.
posted by ericc at 8:55 AM - 11 answers

Which books help me get into the psyche of war criminals, suicide bombers, etc? [more inside]
posted by hasna at 12:21 PM - 21 answers

I'm looking for a somewhat poetic word or phrase (in any language) that describes "a good thing that's happening too soon" or "a good thing that happened before I was ready for it" or something like that. [more inside]
posted by ferociouskitty at 9:20 AM - 12 answers

Adjective-Filter! What's a good adjective to describe someone who is not wearing a suit coat? [more inside]
posted by niles at 8:54 AM - 9 answers

YAWTBF (Yet Another "What's That Book?" Filter): I'm trying to find a book that I loved as a child (early '80s). The book was written from the perspective of a garter snake as he slithered around a little chunk of wilderness bordered by a road. [more inside]
posted by 256 at 8:07 AM - 2 answers

What was this children's book I had in the 1980s that contained large pictures of woodland animals engaged in battle scenes, using military equipment such as cannons that fired acorns? [more inside]
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:58 AM - 4 answers

Help me find this short story that I read in 8th grade 20 years ago. It's about a prisoner who finds the entrance to a tunnel in his jail cell and crawls all the way down... [more inside]
posted by yawper at 9:47 PM - 4 answers

Innovative Books: I am looking to compile a list of the most innovative uses of the book format. Books that break the mould in their layout and design, perhaps books that use online systems to extend their content value or push their form into new places. I am most interested in narrative and theory, but any book that is interesting (artist books etc.) would be really appreciated. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious at 4:37 AM - 29 answers

Help me identify a poem in a specific introduction to a specific copy of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. [more inside]
posted by DeltaForce at 10:46 AM - 3 answers