I’ve just finished reading Ellen Jovin’s Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian, one of the more insightful and entertaining books I’ve read in quite some time.

I have but one complaint:

Damn, I wish I’d thought of it first.

Like the Winklevoss twins every time they log into Facebook, or me every time I listen to The Baseball Project, yeah, there’s some admiration there but also some regret. Is it too late to jump on the bandwagon?

Jovin is the self-described “roving grammarian” who has set up shop around the country peddling advice and acting as an expert and/or arbiter in questions of grammar.

Damn I wish I’d thought of that one too.

Her exploits are all there in her book, surprisingly tight for being over 300 pages. It’s Strunk and White for the 21st century, and, so I hear, soon to be dramatized on none other than Netflix.

In the mean time I’m just going to sing its praises and quote the heck out of it everywhere I go.

I like to think life always gives you a second chance, but perhaps the door has now closed on writing the ultimate style guide of spelling, usage, and grammar.

They say we stand on the shoulders of giants. Well, Jovin is the new giant.