Published in the United States as: An admirable point : a brief history of [!]. Boston : Godine, [2023]. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Introduction: the spiked delights of ! -- A very pathetical point: ! through the ages -- The period that blew its top: thinking and feeling ! -- 'so !f!': literature and the flaming pink scarf -- Oi!!!: perking up with punctuation -- Radiating punctuation: exclamatory politics and the nuclear bomb -- At your fingertips: digital ! -- Epilogue: quo vadis!
Summary:
"Few punctuation marks elicit quite as much love or hate as the exclamation mark. It's bubbly and exuberant, an emotional amplifier whose flamboyantly dramatic gesture lets the reader know: here be feelings! Scott Fitzgerald famously stated exclamation marks are like laughing at your own joke; Terry Pratchett had a character say that multiple !!! are a 'sure sign of a diseased mind'. So what's the deal with ! ? An Admirable Point recuperates the exclamation mark from its much maligned place at the bottom of the punctuation hierarchy. It explores how ! came about in the first place some six hundred years ago, and uncovers the many ways in which ! has left its mark on art, literature, (pop) culture, and just about any sphere of human activity - from Beowulf to spam emails, ee cummings to neuroscience. Whether you think it's over-used, or enthusiastically sprinkle your writing with it, ! is inescapable"--Publisher's description.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.