The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing: For Writers, Editors and Speakers - Softcover

Casey Miller

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060962380 ISBN 13: 9780060962388

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988

Synopsis

Man, he brotherhood, founding fathers. It is argued that such words are and always have been used by educated people to encompass all humanity—men and women. Psychological and historical research in the past few years has produced evidence to the for most people “false generics” seldom if ever convey a female image, nor are they ancient unchangeable rules of the English grammar that have always been used by the educated. Using hundreds of examples, mostly from published sources, the authors illustrate what certain words are saying to us on a subliminal level. Solutions are supplied that range from word substitutions to suggestions for rewriting. Without a trace of self-conscious righteousness, and with refreshing humor, Miller and Swift provide surprising insights into the English language and the ways in which people use it and are used by it. They demonstrate that to be in command of the language, we must find clear, convincing, and graceful ways to convey our ideas accurately. We must recognize and replace exclusive, distorting, ambiguous, and injurious words.

About this title

About the Author

Casey Miller and Kate Swift worked together as coauthors and freelance editors for nearly thirty years until Millers death in 1997. Miller, an Ohio native and graduate of Smith College. Was formerly an editor with the Seabury Press and other publishers, including Colonial Williamsburg, Inc. She served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Swift, a New Yorker, had been a science writer with the American Museum of Natural History and later the Yale School of Medicine, A graduate of the University of North Carolina, she served in the U.S. Army in World War II.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060962380
• ISBN 13: 9780060962388
• Binding: Paperback