Between or Among? or I'll be Hanged if I'm Hung
Subtitle: Terse Verses for Grammarians and Wannabes
Publisher: Tta Pr
Published: March 23, 2001
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 114
ISBN-13: 9781879177284
Description: With her eyesight nearly gone due to macular degeneration, Eliana Beam wrote <i>Between or Among? or I’ll Be Hanged If I’m Hung</i> using large sheets of white paper, bold black markers, and a magnifying glass, which she wears around her neck. She set herself a goal of writing one verse per day over her morning coffee. By lunchtime she’d be done. She took the weekends off. 

A feature story in the Columbus, Ohio, newspaper in 2001 resulted in a rush of 250 book sales at her local Borders bookstore. “Borders agreed to take five books on consignment,” explains Beam. “Five minutes after the store opened on Monday morning, they called to ask if I could rush them 50 more books! Three days later they called for even more books.” 

<i>Between or Among</i> contains 101 witty verses covering grammar, word usage, and pronunciation. It is aimed at "high school" and "highbrow" alike, providing a lively supplement to dry English grammar textbooks. Learning grammar rules no longer has to be boring or confusing. An expanded edition of 200 verses, scheduled for publication in 2007, will include tests to assess your skills. 

Beam, the daughter of Italian immigrants (who promptly enrolled in English classes at the YWCA upon arriving in America), is a zealot when it comes to preserving the English language. When asked if she used to be an English teacher, Eliana replies, “Well, it’s like this. There was the Depression and I had to work, but I’ve been teaching people proper English my whole life. I simply can’t resist correcting their English. I can’t let an error pass unnoticed. I even used to correct my high school English teacher. Oh, she was such a dummy when it came to English grammar!” 

Eliana’s daughter, Amy (herself a former English teacher), used to argue with her mother about word pronunciations. Eliana’s retort was always, “Go look it up!” The revered 10-inch thick Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary sat on its own pulpit stand. After Eliana was proven right, she’d gloat with her famous “So there!” Amy confesses, “Never once was my mother wrong about a word’s pronunciation. After years of being obstinate, I quit looking words up. Now I just take my mother’s word for it. She’s the one who taught me everything I know about English, and she’s still teaching me.” 

“For example, when I was a kid she taught me how to use adverbs correctly. She was always telling me lee every time I’d leave the l y off the end of a word. I’d say ‘Talk slow,’ and she’d say ‘Lee. Slow-ly.’” 

In a teacherly tone that includes cajolery and skirts sarcasm - all held together by outrageous humor - Beam lectures like a favorite teacher. If you are too timid to correct your co-workers' speech, slip them Between or Among? or I’ll Be Hanged If I’m Hung. Even linguistic purists will find some revelations in these pages. Instructive and entertaining, this book will enliven any discussion and enhance your office, powder room, or coffee table. It makes a perfect gift for your teenager, spouse, or boss.

To order email <a href="mailto:beampoet@yahoo.com">beampoet@yahoo.com</a>  or visit <a href="http://www.elianabeam.com/grammarbook.htm">http://www.elianabeam.com/grammarbook.htm</a>

Sample poems at <a href="http://www.elianabeam.com/grammarbook.htm">http://www.elianabeam.com/grammarbook.htm</a>