Category Archives: Ideas and Opinions

Review The Politics of Language by David Beaver and Jason Stanley

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Ed Battistella

The Politics of Language by David Beaver and Jason Stanley Published in 2025, The Politics of Language, by David Beaver and Jason Stanley convincingly makes the case that most speech has ideological meaning and that the connotations of words evoke … Continue reading →

Posted in Ideas and Opinions, Language, What People Are Reading | Leave a comment

What I’m reading March and April 2026

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Ed Battistella

Muscle Man by Jordan Castro A colleague who I run into the gym recommended this. It’s the quirky story of Harold, an unhappy literature professor who finds solace from a mundane career in weight lifting. The key scenes are his … Continue reading →

Posted in Ideas and Opinions, What People Are Reading | Leave a comment

An Interview with Valerie Fridland, author of Why We Talk Funny

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Ed Battistella

Valerie Fridland is a professor of linguistics in the English Department at the University of Nevada, Reno and the author of Like Literally Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English and the 2026 release Why We Talk Funny: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Ideas and Opinions, Interviews, Language, What People Are Reading | Comments Off on An Interview with Valerie Fridland, author of Why We Talk Funny

An Interview with Renee Owen, author of Becoming a Transformative Leader from the Inside Out

Posted on April 14, 2026 by Ed Battistella

Renee Owen is an associate professor in the SOU School of Education and the co-author of a recently released book titled Becoming a Transformative Leader from the Inside Out (Bloomsbury Publishing, November 2025). Owen earned her bachelor of fine arts degree … Continue reading →

Posted in Ideas and Opinions, Interviews | Comments Off on An Interview with Renee Owen, author of Becoming a Transformative Leader from the Inside Out