'Rebel with a Clause' (Q&A + Book Signing with Ellen Jovin, Martha Barnette, and Brandt Johnson)

For the 7 p.m. screening on Thursday, October 23, please join us for a special in-person Q&A with director Brandt Johnson and star Ellen Jovin, who will be joined by Martha Barnette, co-host of "A Way with Words." In addition, Ellen will set up her Grammar Table both before and after the film to answer grammar questions and sign copies of her national bestseller.

Synopsis: One fall day, Ellen Jovin set up a folding table on a Manhattan sidewalk with a homemade sign that said “Grammar Table.” Right away, passersby began excitedly asking questions, telling stories, and filing complaints. What happened next is the stuff of grammar legend. Ellen and her filmmaker husband, Brandt Johnson, took the table on the road, visiting all 50 states as Brandt shot the grammar action. But this story transcends grammar. It’s the story of an epic quest in a divided time to bring us all closer together.

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About the Special Guests!

Ellen Jovin, Star of "Rebel with a Clause"

Ellen Jovin is an internationally acclaimed grammar and language expert. Her most recent book, called "Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian," was published by HarperCollins in 2022 and quickly became a national bestseller. The paperback edition came out in May 2025.

Ellen has written three other books on writing/grammar (Hachette) and is a co-founder with Brandt of the communication skills consulting and training firm Syntaxis. Ellen has studied more than 25 languages with a total of nine different writing systems, which she blogged about for years as part of a project she called “Words & Worlds of New York.”

Earlier in her career, she worked as a freelance reporter and taught writing at New York University and other area colleges. She has a B.A. in German studies from Harvard University and an M.A. in comparative literature from UCLA.

Brandt Johnson, Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor

"Rebel with a Clause" is Brandt’s feature film debut. Before this project, he was the writer, director, and star of Brad Advice, a comedy web series about which the New York Daily News raved, “Brad Advice knocks it out of the park.”

Brandt has written and produced three plays (the New York Times praised his “sharp writing”), and he is the author of the book "Practical Presentation Skills: Authenticity, Focus & Strength (Hachette)."

Brandt is a co-founder with Ellen of the communication skills consulting and training firm Syntaxis. A former investment banker and speechwriter, he has trained executives of major corporations around the world. Also a lifelong athlete, Brandt played professional basketball in Europe and on tour against the Harlem Globetrotters.

He graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in mathematics and earned an M.B.A. in finance from the NYU Stern School of Business.

Martha Barnette

Co-host/co-producer Martha Barnette is the author of reader-friendly books on word origins. She has a background in ancient Greek and Latin, studied Spanish in Costa Rica, and worked as a newspaper reporter for major metropolitan dailies. Raised in the South, she now lives in San Diego, where she’s often found hiking mountain trails and performing with an improv comedy troupe.

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