Semicolon: the past, present, and future of a misunderstood mark

Introduction: love, hate, and semicolons

Deep history: the birth of the semicolon

The science of semicolons: American grammar wars

sexy semicolons

Loose women and liquor laws: the semicolon wreaks havoc in Boston

The minutiae of mercy

Carving semicolons in stone

Semicolon savants

Persuasion and pretension: are semicolons for snobs?

Conclusion: against the rules?