When it comes to grammar/punctuation, the sun still shines on the British Empire.

It's strange...All my life I used an oxford comma, until I went to college (a journalism major) and learned it was against AP Style, so I trained myself not to use it. Now I argue against its use; I say something like, "Just rearrange the list if it's confusing." But I know in my heart of hearts that the oxford comma is correct. I wish I could go back!

Not true. For that cartoon to be correct it would be "We invited the strippers: JFK and Stalin.

Me, myself, and I preach its use constantly!

Reposting my answer about proper use of serial comma, from Quora...

You should use the comma MOST of the time, because most sentences containing lists of items are structured such that it's not "wrong" to use the comma and using it could help avoid confusion -- and thus it's a good habit to use it, because too many people omit it when it's in fact necessary.

Observe...

"Walking down the sidewalk toward you were two hookers, your mom and your wife."

"Walking down the sidewalk toward you were two hookers, your mom, and your wife."

See the difference a comma makes? In the first version, your mom and your wife are apparently the hookers you saw. But in the second one, you saw four different people all on the sidewalk, including your mom and wife as well as two hookers.

But... it's not ALWAYS best to use it. Observe again...

"Walking down the sidewalk, you saw a hooker, your dad and your husband."

"Walking down the sidewalk, you saw a hooker, your dad, and your husband."

In the first sentence, you saw three different people: your dad, your husband, and a hooker. But in the second sentence, you saw two people: a hooker who is also your dad, plus your husband.

Usually, in a list of several different things, you'll want to use an Oxford Comma, and most sentences are structured such that using it won't mistakenly imply that one item is in fact a previous one. Just be sure to re-read your sentences carefully and make sure that the use of a comma isn't creating a mistaken relationship between items.

I love the illustrations. Clarity is what the Oxford Comma is all about.

I have always enjoyed your writing and think you are simply amazing, however, I noticed in your book "Life Itself" that you don't put the comma at places where it would be appropriate. Is there a reason for your selective comma use?

For example, "There Howie Movshovits the film critic and I would make an annual pilgrimage without fail, to talk about how we had been eating Tom's hamburgers since 1969..." (188).

Longtime reader and fan,
Ashton