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A Writer's Companion
This indispensable reference is one that writers, editors and curious readers of all kinds will turn to again and again. Rubin has drawn on his years of accumulated wisdom to put together in a single volume a vast array of information on subjects as diverse as history, literature, science, law, finance, sports, and travel.
1088 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1995
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About the author
Louis D. Rubin Jr.
56 books3 followersLouis Decimus Rubin Jr. was born into a Jewish family in Charleston, South Carolina, on November 19, 1923. He studied for two years at the College of Charleston, served in the Army during World War II (1939–1945), and earned a BA in history at the University of Richmond.
Louis D. Rubin is a writer, editor, publisher, educator, and literary critic, and perhaps the person most responsible for the emergence of southern literature as a field of scholarly inquiry. He served on the faculty of Hollins College (now Hollins University) in Roanoke, Virginia. He coedited Southern Renascence, an important compilation of southern studies; founded the journal Hollins Critic; established the Southern Literary Studies series at the Louisiana State University Press; cofounded the Southern Literary Journal; cofounded Algonquin Books, a literary press that showcases emerging southern writers; and promoted the early work of important southern writers, including Clyde Edgerton, John Barth, and Virginia writers Lee Smith and Annie Dillard.
Louis D. Rubin is a writer, editor, publisher, educator, and literary critic, and perhaps the person most responsible for the emergence of southern literature as a field of scholarly inquiry. He served on the faculty of Hollins College (now Hollins University) in Roanoke, Virginia. He coedited Southern Renascence, an important compilation of southern studies; founded the journal Hollins Critic; established the Southern Literary Studies series at the Louisiana State University Press; cofounded the Southern Literary Journal; cofounded Algonquin Books, a literary press that showcases emerging southern writers; and promoted the early work of important southern writers, including Clyde Edgerton, John Barth, and Virginia writers Lee Smith and Annie Dillard.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
skimmed
March 25, 2025Weeding my library: books on books.
This is a big, fast, heavy references book. I thought it would be an easy one to get rid of, because: Google. But on the first page, I saw the inscription—it was a gift from my brother on my 21st birthday. So keeping it just for that. And who knows, it might come in handy.
Focusing more on breadth than depth, it’s a miscellany of organized facts, with 67 themed chapters on a range of subjects: a brief description of each instrument in a symphony orchestra; a chronological list of famous battles and campaigns from 1469 BCE to 1991; the most popular songs for every year from 1830 to 1991; the candidates and their parties of American presidential races; lists of gods and goddesses with brief descriptions, organized by culture; legal terms with brief definitions; and a rather random list of “current slang” terms, all of which seem to be outdated as of the 1960s. It includes rocks and roll, baby-sit, and “some pumpkins. Highly admirable, impressive. Middle 1800s.” I think this chapter needed to drop the “current.” Most sections consist of a bold term and a one sentence explanation.
I suppose this book would be handy as a reference for someone writing light fiction who just needs a few period facts. It is written by college professors using solid published sources. Yes, you could Google this information if you knew what you were looking for, but the internet is becoming increasingly populated by click bait and poorly researched fluff articles. Someone writing a historical novel will want to do more in depth research using books focused on that period, but, for example, for a romance novel set during 1943, it might be handy to know what songs might be playing on the radio when the hero and heroine are dancing.
Verdict: Keep
This is a big, fast, heavy references book. I thought it would be an easy one to get rid of, because: Google. But on the first page, I saw the inscription—it was a gift from my brother on my 21st birthday. So keeping it just for that. And who knows, it might come in handy.
Focusing more on breadth than depth, it’s a miscellany of organized facts, with 67 themed chapters on a range of subjects: a brief description of each instrument in a symphony orchestra; a chronological list of famous battles and campaigns from 1469 BCE to 1991; the most popular songs for every year from 1830 to 1991; the candidates and their parties of American presidential races; lists of gods and goddesses with brief descriptions, organized by culture; legal terms with brief definitions; and a rather random list of “current slang” terms, all of which seem to be outdated as of the 1960s. It includes rocks and roll, baby-sit, and “some pumpkins. Highly admirable, impressive. Middle 1800s.” I think this chapter needed to drop the “current.” Most sections consist of a bold term and a one sentence explanation.
I suppose this book would be handy as a reference for someone writing light fiction who just needs a few period facts. It is written by college professors using solid published sources. Yes, you could Google this information if you knew what you were looking for, but the internet is becoming increasingly populated by click bait and poorly researched fluff articles. Someone writing a historical novel will want to do more in depth research using books focused on that period, but, for example, for a romance novel set during 1943, it might be handy to know what songs might be playing on the radio when the hero and heroine are dancing.
Verdict: Keep
June 27, 2011
This book is super helpful!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews