Among the many fine gifts I received yesterday was a T-shirt bearing this message: It came a semester late, but it’s a perfect illustration of my answer to this question, posted May 10: “If I say, ‘Hello Diane,’ do I need a comma?” The answer was yes, and the T-shirt (given by a real-life grandma, who may […]

First, congratulations to all our new graduates, especially the international students! You’ve been very brave, coming to New York to do graduate work in a language that is not your own. You’re to be commended. That said, learning never ends — at least, it shouldn’t. To that end,  here’s a recap of some continuing problems […]

I wish I’d waited a bit to write about elongated yellow fruit and fluffy white stuff. Since then, a few close calls have come my way. From a student’s story about a controversial Louis Vuitton display on Red Square: Half a year ago, the square hosted a Dior fashion show; the rent the apparel maker paid was […]