Wordbirds: An Irreverent Lexicon for the 21st Century
Literary catnip for bird lovers who also find themselves fascinated – or annoyed – by the quirks of modern life. (The New York Times Book Review)Schillinger demonstrates a keen talent for zooming in on expressions missing from our vocabulary....[she has] streamlined our language, fast-tracked awkward situations, and refined the humor of word play....You will want to share these clever coinages with your friends, and many of these words may even make it into our expanding collective lexicon. (Los Angeles Review of Books)Wordbirdsis a rare thing: A gift book that's fun, nicely packaged and truly worth reading. (Chicago Tribune)"I am so into "Wordbirds", that from now on, I am going to use these words when playing Scrabble. If anyone challenges me, I will immediately throw the entire board game in the air. And I will say: 'that's for Liesl Schillinger.'" (Fred Armisen)“A lexicon of witty neologisms for the modern age.” (Vanity Fair)“The Oxford English Dictionary adds a short list of new words once a year ("squee" and "selfie" recently made the cut). Writer Liesl Schillinger finds such a change of pace "glacial," and has written an entire delightful book packed with fresh additions to our language. . . . The result is a collection of neologisms that resonates. Why? Underneath Schillinger's wit lies a more pointed commentary on how rapidly our society is changing, so much so that not even language has time to catch up.Anyone whose gotten "parking spaced"—also known as losing you car in a sprawling multitiered lot after a long, brain-numbing day of shopping at a mall—can relate.” (Oprah.com)A great gift for pun lovers and playful linguists. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)If your friend complains when youblunderschedule, try not toapologibein response. Liesl Schillinger's witty collection of necessary new words -- with charming avian illustrations from Elizabeth Zechel --will have you on ajollyroll. (Barnes & Noble Review)“[Schillinger’s] lexicon cleverly captures the new normal of the twenty-first century. Some of her neologisms, in fact, may well stand the test of time.” (Glenn C. AltschulerHuffington Post Books)“Schillinger, an esteemed cultural critic, with illustrator Elizabeth Zechel, has crafted a beautiful book that offers 200 witty, newly claimed words that can help us make our way through the ever-evolving cultural language of the new millennium. . . . The words inWordbirdsare amusing and clever tools that resonate because they are at once original and familiar. Accompanying the words -- all of which are defined and used in a sentence -- are Zechel’s stunning illustrations.” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle)“[Schillinger] provides . . . wonderful new words. You'll find yourself plugging them right in to your conversations . . . . [Wordbirds] is great fun.” (WSYO.org)