educationSep 11, 202525:19pending

From clay tablets to the Gutenberg press, with Keith Houston

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

About this episode

1115. This week, we talk with Keith Houston about his book, "The Book." We look at how writing technology evolved from clay tablets and bamboo slips to papyrus and paper. He shares some surprising facts, including why books are rectangles, how museums try to deacidify books, and how printing was once political.

Keith Houston - Shadycharacters.co.uk

Keith's book - "Face with Tears of Joy"

🔗 Share your familect recording in a WhatsApp chat.

🔗 Watch my LinkedIn Learning writing courses.

🔗 Subscribe to the newsletter.

🔗 Take our advertising survey.

🔗 Get the edited transcript.

🔗 Get Grammar Girl books.

🔗 Join Grammarpalooza. Get ad-free and bonus episodes at Apple Podcasts or Subtext. Learn more about the difference.

| HOST: Mignon Fogarty

| VOICEMAIL: 833-214-GIRL (833-214-4475).

| Grammar Girl is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network.

Audio Engineer: Dan Feierabend
Director of Podcast: Holly Hutchings
Advertising Operations Specialist: Morgan Christianson
Marketing and Video: Nat Hoopes

| Theme music by Catherine Rannus.

| Grammar Girl Social Media: YouTube. TikTok. Facebook.Threads. Instagram. LinkedIn. Mastodon. Bluesky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get every episode summarized

Each time Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.

Email me new episodes

Free for 3 shows. No card needed.