# Beloved, by Toni Morrison?  Or Beloved by Tony Morrison?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 7, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172 "2005-10-07T12:59:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/1 "2005-10-07T12:59:19Z")

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Simple question.

> [@](#):
>
> I read three books last month: _Perdido Street Station_ by China Mieville, _Sign of the Beaver_ by Elizabeth Speare, and _The Pleasure of my Company_ by Steve Martin.

Is that quote punctuated properly? Or are commas required following the title of each book (and therefore requiring that the existing commas be replaced by semicolons)?

I’m leaning toward the latter, on a “nonrestrictive phrase” argument, but I’m really not sure.

Daniel

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/2 "2005-10-07T13:02:44Z")

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I’m no expert, but what you have looks fine to me.

(And it’s Toni, not Tony.)

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/3 "2005-10-07T13:10:23Z")

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> [@Thudlow Boink](#):
>
> I’m no expert, but what you have looks fine to me.
> 
> (And it’s Toni, not Tony.)

D’oh! I even got it right the first time. I have no idea why I wrote “Tony” the second time. Thanks for the catch!  
Daniel

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**Author:** ![Egad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Egad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Egad)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/4 "2005-10-07T13:15:12Z")

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Yeah I too would say what’s there looks to be correct.

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/5 "2005-10-07T13:41:30Z")

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It’s correct. Some style guides would omit the comma after Speare, but that’s a matter of preference, not grammar.

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**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beloved-by-toni-morrison-or-beloved-by-tony-morrison/325172/6 "2005-10-07T13:49:54Z")

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Interesting. I think I’ve always separated title and author with a comma, but apparently I shouldn’t have been doing so.

Thanks!  
Daniel