Professor “Takes On” a World of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks

Part of faculty scholarship involves sharing knowledge off campus, as professors write for various publications, present at conferences, and guest lecture.

Assistant Professor of Communication Arts Bethany Keeley-Jonker recently shared her experience as a blogger and author with students at Keene State College in New Hampshire.

Keeley-Jonker discussed her blog, ‘Blog’ of ‘Unnecessary’ Quotation Marks, and her book, Book of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks: A Celebration of Creative Punctuation.

Check out this fun example from her blog she used in the lecture.

Where does Keeley-Jonker find so many examples unnecessary quotation marks? People from around the country regularly submit photos to her for posting. She said that after she started the blog in 2005, the increased usage of cell phones with cameras made it easy for people to send her photos. Readership then increased dramatically following a story by the Associated Press about the blog in 2007, and by 2009, she had been contacted about a book contract.

During her public lecture and class presentation at Keene, Keeley-Jonker talked about the blog and the book and analyzed the reasons for their popularity.

Keeley-Jonker has been on Trinity faculty since 2012 and is a regular contributor to Think Christian magazine and has contributed to The Toast.