Patricia T. O'Conner

Patricia T. O'Conner
Born (1949-02-19) February 19, 1949 (age 75)
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
EducationGrinnell College (BA)
University of Minnesota
SpouseStewart Kellerman

Patricia T. O'Conner (born February 19, 1949)[1] is the author of five books about the English language. A former staff editor at The New York Times Book Review,[2] she has appeared regularly as a language commentator for WNYC[3] and Iowa Public Radio.[4] She has written extensively for The New York Times, including book reviews,[5][6][7][8] On Language columns,[9][10][11] and articles for the op-ed page[12] and the Week in Review[13] section. Her work has also appeared in Smithsonian,[14] The Paris Review,[15] the Literary Review[16][17][18][19] (London), and other publications.

A native of Des Moines, Iowa,[20][21] she graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 with a BA in philosophy and received an honorary degree from Grinnell in 2006.[22] She did graduate work in urban journalism at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, before beginning her career as a reporter and editor in 1973.[22] After several years at The Des Moines Register and The Wall Street Journal, she joined the New York Times in 1982.[22]

She and Stewart Kellerman, her husband[23] and co-author of several books and articles, answer questions about the English language on The Grammarphobia Blog.[24]

Publications

  • Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Riverhead, 4th ed., 2019, ISBN 978-0525533054)
  • Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language, co-authored by Kellerman (Random House, 2009, ISBN 978-0-8129-7810-0)
  • Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English (Putnam, 2007, ISBN 978-0-399-24331-8)
  • You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online, co-authored by Kellerman (Harcourt, 2002, ISBN 978-0-15-602733-5)
  • Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing (Harcourt, 1999, ISBN 978-0-15-601087-0)
  • The Reader Over Your Shoulder, by Robert Graves with Alan Hodge; new introduction by Patricia T. O’Conner (Seven Stories Press, 2018, ISBN 978-1-60980-733-7)

References

  1. ^ "About the Author: Patricia T. O'Conner". Amazon. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Authors: Patricia T. O'Conner". Seven Stories Press. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Patricia T. O'Conner". WNYC. New York Public Radio. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Word Maven Patricia O'Conner". Talk of Iowa. Iowa Public Radio. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  5. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (14 April 2015). "'Between You & Me,' by Mary Norris". The New York Times Book Review. p. 18. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  6. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (12 June 2014). "Missed Connections". The New York Times Book Review. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  7. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (23 January 2000). "Party Girl". The New York Times Book Review. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  8. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (7 December 2003). "Grisly Pictures From an Institution". The New York Times Book Review. p. 43. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  9. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (15 July 2007). "On Language: As some like it". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  10. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (22 August 1999). "On Language: Plainspeak". The New York Times Magazine. p. 22. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  11. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (7 September 1997). "On Language: Grammar Cops". The New York Times Magazine. p. 36. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  12. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T.; Kellerman, Stewart (23 February 2009). "The I's Have It". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  13. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (1 November 1998). "It's Just Fine to Boldly Go". The New York Times, Week in Review. p. 4. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  14. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T.; Kellerman, Stewart (February 2013). "Most of What You Think You Know About Grammar Is Wrong". Smithsonian. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  15. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (4 January 2008). "The Reader Over Your Shoulder". The Paris Review. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  16. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (December 2020). "Good Gad!". Literary Review. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  17. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (December 2021). "The Ghost of Christmas Presents Past". Literary Review. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  18. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (September 2022). "Blowing Their Cover". Literary Review. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  19. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T. (September 2020). "Tawk of the Town". Literary Review. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  20. ^ White, Claire E. (December 1999). "A Conversation With Patricia T. O'Conner". Writers Write: The Internet Writing Journal. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  21. ^ "Dean's List at Grinnell". The Des Moines Register. 25 July 1971. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  22. ^ a b c "Patricia T. O'Conner '71 Doctor of Humane Letters". Grinnell News. Grinnell College. 1 June 2006. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Contributors". Smithsonian. February 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  24. ^ "The Grammarphobia Blog". Grammarphobia.com. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2023.