Michael Parker: All Hail the Semi-Colon (January 2011)

Michael Parker explores the particular value of a semi-colon both as a form of punctuation and in terms of the broader lessons it can teach about writing. Parker argues that the semi-colon embodies ambivalence, since it is more “penetrating than a comma” and “less blunt than a period.” He shows how use of the semi-colon significantly contributes to the development of character and meaning in such short-shorts as Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” and John Cheever’s “Reunion,” as well as in Lydia Davis’ translation of Madame Bovary.