02/19/2026
A Workplace Comfort Ritual Since Forever
A tradition at work started by my colleague Elisabeth Flynn, one of the best writers I know, was to have on hand the latest editions of the Associated Press Stylebook and "The Elements of Style" on hand.
====> Separately, as an undergraduate writing major, my writing professor, Dr. Andy Solomon required these two books for all and his lessons still speak to me to this day, I kid you not, I can still hear his voice telling me when and where to put the comma, semicolon, colon, and to "show me - don't tell me!"
📕 Every time a new edition came out, Elisabeth and I got them for the entire team and for ourselves. New staffer? They got the books. The books we feel are timeless and used by creatives across the country.
*** This week the two books started to arrive at the workplaces or homes of my current team members and I needed to be clear: they are NOT being given these books because anyone thinks their writing is less than stellar.
1. The two books are meant to be a guide for elevating a message that meet the standards used in the media.
2. Google provides too many opinions about writing, many of which are bad.
3. When we encounter a dispute about style (e.g., is the Oxford comma in vogue?), we can resolve it by going to a trusted source for leading news organizations.
====> What is one of your workplace rituals?
