‘Wordbirds’: A new book for word nerds
Brooklyn BookBeat: Author to speak in DUMBO
If you’re a word nerd like me, and you care more about your Words With Friends stats than the score of the Super Bowl, chances are you’ll be excited about Liesl Schillinger’s new book, “Wordbirds” (Simon & Schuster; Oct. 15). 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.
“Etitext,” for instance, refers to social behavior (often bad) connected with the use of cell phones and PDAs. “Cancellelation” is the joy felt by someone who frees up his or her schedule by canceling an appointment or reneging on a social plan. First coined on Schillinger’s Tumblr, the words in “Wordbirds” are 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.
Some more ‘Wordbirds’ include: