The Ladylike Language of Letters
Letters reveal how language changes. They also offer a peek into the way people--especially women--have always constructed their private and public selves.
Jane Austen’s Subtly Subversive Linguistics
Why are Jane Austen books still so beloved? A linguist argues it has more to do with Austen's masterful use of language than with plot.
Why Do Americans Eat Three Meals a Day?
A Curious Reader asks: What’s the origin of the familiar breakfast-lunch-dinner triad?
A Novel Defense of the Internet
Novel reading was once regarded as an idle occupation, just as Internet use is now.