In this week in THIS WEEK IN PUNCTUATION AND USE, we sit down with Adam Cayton-Holland. Adam is a self proclaimed writer and stand up. Others have proclaimed him those same titles as well. I tripled checked and confirmed he writes for Westword and does yuk yuks at Comedy Works. His time is very valuable working on articles and zippy punch lines but I caught him last night at perfect moment and, maybe, it was the soft glow from the Broadway bus pulling up behind me, the soothing DJ selections and the beer I bought him, but he looked me in the eyes and said yes , he do it. To which I replied "do what?" And without his lips moving, I heard his voice in my head saying "Your new article idea you just had when you saw me; the one about punctuation and use." It was Magical. So today we meet up virtually and quickly for the interview…
Thank you for coming on such short notice, but with the increase of emails, blogs and status updates I felt this had to be cleared up. First off, in a nutshell, how should we be using semi colons and are we using them enough?
The way I understand semi colons is that they can be used to replace a period. So if you have two sentences that are intimately related, like kissing cousins', you can put in a semi colon; that way the sentences will go together smoother. Did you notice how I just did exactly that?! Stephen King said it best, "They're the hermaphrodites of the literary world and are deserving of our respect."
You don't say? Well that clears some things up. Now, I always hear people fussing about the over use of the exclamation point. Do you share in the fussing and do you see the use of the exclamation point ever to plateau?
I do share in this fussing. Exclamation points are a powerful, powerful punctuation and when you overuse them, you negate that power. Then they become relegated to the realm of cutesy texts between high school girls, which is kind of hot, but definitely not literary. Either that or they become aggressive, like the guy at the bar next to you who after a few too many starts talking really loudly about, "hating faggots." James Joyce said it best, "Exclamation points are for faggots."
Interesting point, haha excuse the pun…I understand you have a phone and text message. Are Americans still being too curt with their texts and do you think emotocons are playing a role in all of it?
I’ve actually won two Pulitzers for my texting so while I am aware of Americans tendency to be curt with their texts, I am quite the opposite. I write long, poignant texts that serve to not only fill you with mirth and cheer from the confines of your pocket, but hopefully entice you to scurry to my boudoir for a sweat-filled romp. Oh, and also I'm drunk when I do it. But I think if there is an epidemic of curt texts going on, emoticons certainly do not help. I believe it was Jack Kerouac who said it best, "Emotioncs are like little faces, just made with punctuation marks."
Right, I agree. Finally, the blog is much like the newspaper of yore; its old news by the time you read it. Status updates are fast and well named because they are always updating. Do you have any pointers on how to write a first rate status update?
Adam is answering lame questions from a guy named Soto who he is still not convinced didn't have something to do with that Continental crash out at Denver International Airport. Le sigh.
I'll keep that in mind. Well thanks again for coming down to sotosotosoto.blogspot.com. Your insight was well received and I look forward to seeing you again. Where can the kids catch you next?
I sure would love it if the kids would come check out our monthly comedy bonanza, Los Comicos Super Hilariosos at the Orange Cat Studios, 2625 Larimer, at 9 p.m. on the last Friday of every month. That would be January 30th of 2009. I believe it was Dave Eggars who said it best, "Adam Cayton-Holland is a goddamn underappreciated genius and if I were you, I'd catch him his amazing, whimsical comedy shows before he sprouts wings and flies off to superstardom."
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