
John McWhorter
Professor of Linguistics, English, and Comparative Literature, Columbia University; Author, Words on the Move
John McWhorter is an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University, where he teaches linguistics, American studies, and music history. He hosts Slate’s language podcast, “Lexicon Valley,” and is a contributing editor at The Atlantic. McWhorter is the author of over 20 books, including ones on language such as The Power of Babel, The Language Hoax, and the upcoming Nine Nasty Words, as well as ones on race such as Losing the Race. He has also created five audiovisual courses on language in the Great Courses series. McWhorter is a former contributing editor at The New Republic and has written for The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.
Previously

Churchill, Language, and What Makes a Leader
Video — 19m 29s

2019 Festival
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
Audio — 51m

2019 Festival
The Genesis of 'Isms'
Video — 50m 22s

2019 Festival
Nine Nasty Words: The Words That Make Us What We Are, for Better or for Worse
Video

2018 Festival
Words on the Move
Audio — 50m

2018 Festival
Adjusting to Modernity in American English
Video — 51m 19s

2018 Festival
Just Words: Do We Control Language or Does Language Control Us?
Video — 50m 34s