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“Y’all,” with a 17th Century English accent?

Did “y’all” originate with 17th century English poetry? A particularly interesting follow-up to my letter of recommendation for “y’all” mentions my own evolution on the word in the context of a larger argument from David B. Parker, a professor at Kennesaw State University.

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Ancestor Trouble’s Best of 2022 Mentions

Ancestor Trouble is a best book of 2022, according to The New Yorker, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, and Esquire. It was also a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection. Much gratitude to all the editors and critics who made these decisions and conferred these distinctions in a truly wonderful year for books.

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Writing About Abuse is Not Abuse*

If you are a writer struggling with the ethics of sharing your own history, remember that dragging these experiences out of hiding does not make you the harmful one.

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