Bethany Keeley-Jonker, a research assistant in UGA’s Institute for Behavioral Research and doctoral candidate in communication studies, is author of The Book of”Unnecessary” Quotation Marks, a new book that pokes fun at misused quotation marks.
The book is based on a blog of the same name, www.unnecessaryquotes.com, which Keeley-Jonker started in 2005. The blog has been covered by the Associated Press and Time magazine.
The “book” features actual signage found “in the wild” that surveys the havoc wreaked by quotation marks on signs, menus, placards and posters that leave reality upended by supposed “facts,” including a diner menu offering a “hamburger,” a yard sign for Fresh Brown “Eggs,” a sidewalk sign for a “Fresh” Fruit cup and a photo of a “security guard” napping in his booth. The entries range from the sarcastic to the suggestive.
This smarty-pants guide is “perfect” for desperate grammarians, habitual air quoters and anyone who appreciates a good laugh.