Tag Archives: AAVE

Reassess the Diss

I’m in the midst of a four-day faculty writing retreat. Seven hours each day of camping out in a conference room on campus, with 19 colleagues from various disciplines, and a middling catered lunch every day. Sounds glamorous, right? We’re … Continue reading

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Langston Hughes and the Literary Canon

In a piece for The Smart Set magazine, Richard Abowitz reminds readers that this past February marked the birthday of one Langston Hughes, popularly known as “the Bard of Harlem.” Over the course of the article, Abowitz parses out Hughes’ … Continue reading

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Fast Take: Hamilton

Everyone is talking about Hamilton and rightly so. I’ve been listening to the cast recording continuously since it came out, and I bet you have, too. It’s endlessly delighting, incredibly moving, and maintains a strong sense of thematic unity throughout … Continue reading

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A Spin on Vernacular, Part Two

In my last post, I discussed the unfortunate description of “vernacular spin” by writer and comedian Neal Brennan, and how it related to the use of African American Vernacular English (AAVE). What does this have to do with Richard Sherman? … Continue reading

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A Spin on Vernacular

It’s rare when a media event overlaps with my scholarly work, but TWO events overlapping with it is practically unheard of. However, this past week, such a confluence happened. First, Neal Brennan, co-creator of Chapelle’s Show, gave an interview to … Continue reading

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