John McWhorter
Professor of Linguistics, Columbia University
John McWhorter is a linguist and professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, where he teaches linguistics, American studies, and music history. He also hosts the language podcast “Lexicon Valley,” writes a weekly newsletter for The New York Times, and contributes to The Atlantic. McWhorter is the author of over 20 books, including ones on language, such as The Power of Babel, The Language Hoax, and Nine Nasty Words, as well as on race, such as Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black America. The creator of five audiovisual courses on language in the Great Courses series, his writing has appeared in TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and Forbes, among others.
Previously
Language — the words we use — plays a vital role in framing and shaping public discourse, influencing our social and cultural perceptions and interactions. A linguist and cult...
The search for meaning is at the crux of the human condition and the basis of Life Worth Living, a new book emulating one of Yale’s most popular courses. In this lively “hot s...
During his first year as Prime Minister, Winston Churchill and the citizens of London endured 57 nights of consecutive bombing by German air forces. While both the Blitz and C...
Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass learned to read against the odds, succeeded in a harrowing escape from bondage, and went on to bear witness to its evils across the count...
A person espousing the ideas of liberal thinkers, in the vein of philosopher John Locke, can often be dismissed today as an unfeeling supporter of the status quo. “Neoliberal”...
The language of our time, be it in the twittersphere, spoken-word poetry, or simply our day-to-day discourse, is blemished by a set of profanities — some more vile than others...
The evolution of the English language is more often thought of as a devolution, particularly with the infiltration of texting abbreviations and jargon into our everyday use. J...
Language is a subjective thing, but one so deeply ingrained in our consciousness that accepting linguistic change brings out the conservative in all of us. But language is fu...
Words come at us in print, online, and on the air; in podcasts, movies, editorials, and advertorials; through e-mail, texts, and tweets. Words may shock, like those of Samanth...