Podcast
Red Pen: A Grammar Podcast
Hosted by Columbia Journalism Review · EN
Welcome to the weird, wild, scintillatingly stylish, and syntactically sound world of RED PEN—the grammar podcast that won't put you to sleep.Brought to you by the Columbia Journalism Review and hosted by old buds Ryan Davis and Mike Laws, RED PEN plucks examples from the news (as well as from novels, music, movies—wherever!) to answer all those questions you were too afraid to ask in English class.Digressions may include: Green Day's early work, the oppressive atmosphere of latter-day Batman movies, and, of course, cats. Lots of cats.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What. The. F*ck.
Jul 10, 202401:02:07Tap to summarizePrepare to be scandalized. Oh, your stars!Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show NotesThe Science of Curse Words: Why The &@$! Do We Swear?, John-Erik Jordan, Babbel
Transcribe →Verily Varying Verbs
Jun 4, 202400:32:55Tap to summarizeHow to crack the attention economy? Coldcock your readers.Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show Notes:Breaking the Laws, Mike on Nabokov, Red Pen S2 E8Dangler Untangler: Make those modifiers sing, Mike on dangling modifiers, Red Pen S1 E5
Transcribe →BONUS: Red Pen at the Movies
May 1, 202400:48:36Tap to summarizeCome for the critical reappraisal of ‘Shakespeare in Love,’ stay for Mike’s shocking revelation. Anon, good nurse!Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show Notes:The Duchess of Malfi, John WebsterTamburlaine the Great, Part I, Christopher Marlowe
Transcribe →Odds’n’Sods
Apr 17, 202400:35:51Tap to summarizeOh, boy, are the “stick to the topic” ppl gonna love this one.Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show Notes:Underworld podcast episode on MedellinVladimir Nabokov: Heat Seeker, Mike Laws, The Village VoiceA Brief Oral History of Wayne Barrett, the First Journalist to Doggedly Cover Donald Trump, Tricia Romano, Vanity Fair
Transcribe →Breaking the Laws
Mar 29, 202400:30:25Tap to summarizeWhen, whether, and how often. With a little help from Humbert Humbert. Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show Notes:Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov on Google BooksA Teen’s Fatal Plunge Into the London Underworld, Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker
Transcribe →Finest Points
Mar 6, 202400:47:03Tap to summarizeOr: How I learned to stop worrying and love nuance. Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.
Transcribe →Past, Perfect
Feb 21, 202400:37:26Tap to summarizeYou best believe we seen this trend.Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.
Transcribe →Top 5!
Feb 3, 202400:39:40Tap to summarizeIn which Mike finally reads the comments.Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.
Transcribe →Ergative Zones
Jan 10, 202400:40:07Tap to summarizeHow Padma Lakshmi schooled us all on the "middle voice."Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachFind all your favorite Red Pen songs over on the Red Pen Official Playlist.To use Red Pen chapters, swipe up on the Now Playing screen or click the top-right-corner Chapters button on Apple Podcasts for macOS.Show Notes:"It eats salty": middle voice on "Top Chef," Language Log on "stimulus subject perception verbs"The Grammar of Top Chef: What’s With "It Eats Salty"? Mental Floss on "gestalt verbs"
Transcribe →Words We Love
Dec 13, 202300:55:08Tap to summarizeAnd a few we hate. And, for some reason, a few that are German.Questions/comments/ideas/snark go in the comments. We love you.Thing 1: Ryan DavisThing 2: Mike LawsProducer: Amanda DarrachShow Notes:The Staten Island Ferry Schedule (But sign your marriage license on dry land.)Out of Office podcastPhonesthemes@germanonliners
Transcribe →