A witty, insightful, and utterly charming memoir from The New Yorker’s legendary copy editor about language, life, and the love of words.
 
Mary Norris has spent more than three decades in The New Yorker’s legendary copy department, maintaining the magazine’s impeccable standards. In Between You & Me, she shares her funny, wise, and surprisingly personal take on grammar, punctuation, and the quirks of the English language—along with stories from behind the scenes of one of America’s most esteemed publications.
 
 
Part memoir, part style guide, Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen is a delight for anyone who loves words. Mary Norris brings humor and heart to topics like commas, semicolons, and dangling modifiers, transforming grammar into an art form. But beyond her linguistic precision, Norris offers readers a glimpse into her own life—her early years at The New Yorker, her passion for storytelling, and the deeply human side of editing.
 
Blending grammar advice with anecdotes, literary gossip, and self-deprecating humor, this book celebrates the messy, magical relationship between people and language. Whether you’re a writer, reader, or just someone who’s argued over the Oxford comma, Between You & Me is both a laugh-out-loud delight and an ode to clarity, creativity, and communication.
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
A clever mix of grammar wisdom and memoir.
Packed with witty anecdotes from The New Yorker’s editing desk.
Makes punctuation, style, and syntax feel fun and human.
Perfect for language lovers, writers, editors, and grammar geeks.
Smart, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt.
 
🌟 Perfect For
Fans of Eats, Shoots & Leaves and Wordslut.
Writers, teachers, editors, and book club readers.
Readers who enjoy witty literary nonfiction.
Anyone curious about the world behind polished prose.
 
❤️ Fans Also Liked
If you enjoyed Between You & Me, you might also like:
Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss — humorous guide to punctuation and clarity.
Dreyer’s English by Benjamin Dreyer — witty and practical grammar wisdom from a Random House editor.
Word by Word by Kory Stamper — stories from the dictionary trenches.