Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Martha Barnette

@marthabarnette.bsky.social

1.3K followers 2.3K following 170 posts

Co-host, “A Way with Words" public radio show/podcast Check out my new book! FRIENDS WITH WORDS: Adventures in Languageland marthabarnette.com #etymology #writing #books #words @wayword

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Nov 14

I think this lovely article in The New Yorker by the lovely Comma Queen herself is still the best intro to what we do on the radio show. A wee oasis in the midst of other gnarly news.

“A Way with Words” Is “Car Talk” for Lexiphiles

Scouting for words to talk about is a constant effort, but it comes naturally to the radio show’s co-hosts, a writer in love with so-called dead languages and a linguist with an ear for contemporary s...

www.newyorker.com

1 6 56

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 1d

Agreed!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 3d

Hey, book lovers in the South! I’ll be there this weekend, in conversation with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social to talk about his new book and mine. Join us! #friendswithwords 📚

Parnassus Books @parnassusbooks.bsky.social · 17d

We’re less than 3 weeks away from the 37th annual Southern Festival of Books! The author list is up, the schedule has been posted, and we couldn’t be more excited🤩 Will we see you there? Find out more: sofestofbooks.org
#Booksky

1 3

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 7d

Louavull

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 9d

Agree! Also cool to boldly split infinitives. These “rules” are attempts by 17th & 18th c. self-appointed grammarians to fit the swollen feet of English into the tight shoes of Latin syntax.

1 1 4

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 18d

My progressive Southern Baptist minister (yes, there are still some out there!) dad would have LOVED this book! Thank you!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 19d

… And them’s mah beans!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 19d

Thank you, Mignon!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 21d

I somehow missed “groksucker” until just now.

Prospect Magazine @prospectmagazine.co.uk · 21d

“Clanker” is a derogatory term used to insult AI products such as delivery robots, therapist chatbots and automated servants. Our future robotic overlords might take, writes Sarah Ogilvie.

Is it okay to say clanker?

Artificial intelligence won’t be offended by this new slur. But our future robotic overlords might take a different view

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

1 3 9

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 22d

Do you speak Sylheti? Tamajaght? Klingon? Inside the Festival for Endangered Languages

Every two weeks, a language is lost – and by the end of the century, half of the world’s 7,000 tongues could have vanished. We meet the artist using eyeliner and chokeberries to rescue everything from...

www.theguardian.com

1 1

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 24d

Looking forward to chatting with Spain’s largest English speaking talk radio station shortly!

TRE - Talk Radio Europe @tre.radio · 24d

On Hannah Murray's TRE in the Afternoon from 16.00CET - Karen Walrond's 'In Defense of Dabbling: The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur', @marthabarnette.bsky.social's 'Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland', and Freddie Lamb's weekend sport round up

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · 27d

My book makes this Arkansas library’s “Most Requested” list. Yay #libraries and #books! 📚👓

At the library | Hot Springs Sentinel Record

Top 5 requests

www.hotsr.com

1 2

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 16

Super-fun interview on WORT-FM about my mom, playing the Pink Panther theme, how Ritalin was named, and my upcoming appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 26! www.wortfm.org/martha-barne...

Martha Barnette on Words, Teaching, and Her New Book - WORT-FM 89.9

Martha Barnette joins the 8 O’Clock Buzz to discuss her new book Friends with Words, her radio show A Way with Words, and why language matters.

www.wortfm.org

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 13

“The squirt gun of truth” is my new favorite expression. TY!

1 6

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 13

I’ll never hear about trundles or Piggly Wigglys again without thinking of you fine folks!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 13

So much fun to chew the fat with y’all! 🙏🏼

Because Language (becauselangpod) @becauselanguage.com · Sep 12

We had a great time talking with @marthabarnette.bsky.social of @waywordradio.org about her new book "Friends With Words". And she helped us with some of our toughest listener questions! It's a free episode for everyone.

Video: www.patreon.com/posts/video-...
Audio: www.patreon.com/posts/audio-...

Video 125: Friends With Words (live with Martha Barnette and friends) | Because Language

www.patreon.com

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 13

This looks fabulous, Peter!

Martha Barnette @marthabarnette.bsky.social · Sep 4

I’m so looking forward to signing #FriendswithWords and meeting other book lovers at this festival next month!

Parnassus Books @parnassusbooks.bsky.social · Jul 10

Sandy from Humanities Tennessee stopped by the store earlier this week to give us the good news in person — the Southern Festival of Books is on for 2025!!