Entry 17 | The Em Dash: Because Periods Are Too Passive and Commas Can’t Handle the Drama

TAP PLAY TO LISTEN -

(TAP PLAY TO LISTEN)

Let’s talk about the em dash—yes, that long line. The one that shows up in texts, tweets, and literary masterpieces like it owns the place (because honestly, it kind of does). If punctuation marks were people at a party, the em dash would be the effortlessly cool guest who strolls in late, cuts the line for the bar, interrupts your sentence, and somehow still makes the whole room go, “Ooooh yes, give us more.”

But what is an em dash? At its simplest, it’s a long dash—longer than the en dash. Historically, the em dash gets its name from the width of a printed uppercase “M.” Back in the days of metal type, printers used an M-sized piece of metal to create that long horizontal swoosh we now abuse in our writing. It was originally meant for sudden breaks in thought or interruptions in dialogue—basically the literary version of someone jumping in and saying, “Actually—”

Fast-forward to today, and the em dash has become the punctuation equivalent of the friend who can’t let anyone finish a story without inserting their own commentary. And honestly? That’s why we love it. Our modern conversations are messy, fast, chaotic, full of unfinished thoughts and half-started ideas—we start one thing and then suddenly remember another—and the em dash captures that beautiful disorder perfectly. It represents the abruptness of how we actually speak now: clipped, overlapping, enthusiastic, slightly unhinged.

But here’s the plot twist—because what’s a good punctuation mark without some drama? Lately, some folks claim the em dash is a “sign of artificial intelligence.” Yes. You read that correctly. A punctuation mark that predates electricity is somehow… robotic? The em dash is suddenly suspicious. A spy. An informant, if you will. A typographical tattletale whispering, “A human wouldn’t have written this.”

The irony? Wild.

Because humans have been obsessively interrupting themselves—with words, thoughts, and punctuation—for centuries. If anything, the em dash is the most human punctuation mark we’ve got. AI didn’t invent it or popularize it. People did. Messy, excitable, easily distracted, gloriously opinionated people.

So, let’s settle this:

The em dash isn’t artificial—it’s authentic.

It isn’t lazy—it’s lyrical.

It isn’t cheating—it's charming.

And if loving the em dash makes me sound like a robot, then fine—beep boop, boppity bop.

---

Discussion: Do you think the em dash is a stylish punctuation choice—or an overused crutch people lean on when their thoughts sprint faster than their grammar?