Benjamin Dreyer

Benjamin Dreyer (born May 11, 1958) is an American writer and copy editor. He was copy chief at Random House until he retired in 2023.[1] He is the aut

Benjamin Dreyer
Benjamin Dreyer
Dreyer in September 2018
Born (1958-05-11) May 11, 1958 (age 68)
Alma materNorthwestern University
OccupationsWriter, copy editor
EmployerRandom House
Known forDreyer's English
TitleVice-president, executive managing editor and copy chief
Parents
  • Stanley B. Dreyer (father)
  • Diana C. Seligman (mother)
Websitebenjamindreyer.com

Benjamin Dreyer (born May 11, 1958) is an American writer and copy editor. He was copy chief at Random House until he retired in 2023.[1] He is the author of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style (2019). The Washington Post called Dreyer "the unofficial language guru on Twitter".[2]

Early life

Dreyer was born May 11, 1958[3] in a Jewish family.[4] He grew up in Queens, New York and Albertson, Long Island.[5] He attended Northwestern University.[6]

Career

Early in his career, Dreyer pursued writing[7] and acting.[5] He worked in bars and restaurants before turning to freelance proofreading, and then copy editing.[5] In 1993, he joined Random House full time as a production editor.[6] He was promoted from group manager to senior managing editor and copy chief in 2008[8] and served as vice-president, executive managing editor and copy chief, at the Random House division of Penguin Random House.[6] until 2023. Supervising the publication of hundreds of titles a year—The New York Times describes Dreyer's role as "style-arbiter-of-last-resort"—he works with novelist Elizabeth Strout as the sole author he continues to copy-edit himself.[5]

Dreyer's English

Dreyer's English began as a revision of an internal memo to advise copy editors and proofreaders at Random House.[9] The memo expanded to about 20 pages, and eventually Dreyer became interested in developing it into a book. That book, Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, was published by Random House in January 2019.[10] It debuted at #9 on The New York Times bestseller list for "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous"[11] and received enthusiastic reviews.[12][13]

In The New Yorker, Katy Waldman wrote that "Dreyer beckons readers by showing that his rules make prose pleasurable... The author’s delight in his tool kit is palpable."[14] Writing in Paste magazine, Frannie Jackson recommended the book as "invaluable to everyone who wants to shore up their writing skills and an utter treat for anyone who simply revels in language."[15] The Wall Street Journal's reviewer, Ben Yagoda, saw "wisdom and good sense on nearly every page",[16] and noted what he termed a trend of "copy editors' memoirs-cum-style guides", comparing Dreyer's English to "the splendid Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen", from New Yorker copy editor Mary Norris.[16]

The Washington Post calls Dreyer "the unofficial language guru on Twitter".[2]

In 2020, Dreyer released STET! Dreyer's English: A Game for Language Lovers, Grammar Geeks, and Bibliophiles, a card game based on his style guide.[17] Dreyer maintains an active presence on social media, where he frequently comments on grammar, usage, and literary culture.[18]

Personal life

Dreyer lives in Santa Monica, California.

See also

References

  1. ^ 'Words in Progress: Notes From a Retired Copy Chief,' Kirkus Reviews, December 13, 2023
  2. ^ a b Patrick, Bethanne (January 1, 2019). "What books to read in January". Washington Post. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. ^ Dreyer, Benjamin (2019-02-18). "Oh, cool: May 11, 1958. Thanks". @BCDreyer. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  4. ^ Frazer, Jenni. "From US to UK, veteran editor Benjamin Dreyer has the last word on English style". Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d Lyall, Sarah (1 February 2019). "Meet the Guardian of Grammar Who Wants to Help You Be a Better Writer". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Benjamin Dreyer". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  7. ^ "RH Copy Chief Benjamin Dreyer on His Second Career As An Author + Some Grammatical Tips". penguinrandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  8. ^ "Duffy, Dreyer Up at Random". Publishers Weekly. January 7, 2008. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  9. ^ Kreizman, Maris. "Grammar Guru Benjamin Dreyer Talks Twitter Style, Denounces 'Onboarding'". www.vulture.com. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  10. ^ Wood, Heloise (February 15, 2019). "Century wins auction for Random House veteran's grammar rules | The Bookseller". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  11. ^ "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books - Best Sellers - The New York Times". The New York Times. February 17, 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  12. ^ "Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style". Publishers Weekly. October 29, 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  13. ^ Warner, John (January 27, 2019). "'Dreyer's English' Is for Everybody". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2019-01-31.
  14. ^ Waldman, Katy (30 January 2019). "The Hedonic Appeal of "Dreyer's English"". The New Yorker. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  15. ^ Jackson, Frannie (January 25, 2019). "The 10 Best Books of January 2019". Paste. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  16. ^ a b Yagoda, Ben (25 January 2019). "'Dreyer's English' Review: Flossing Your Prose". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  17. ^ "STET! Dreyer's English: A Game for Language Lovers, Grammar Geeks, and Bibliophiles". Penguin Random House. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  18. ^ "Five Questions with Benjamin Dreyer '79". Northwestern Magazine. Retrieved December 9, 2025.

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