In Watching TV with a Linguist, Fägersten challenges the conventional view of television as lowbrow entertainment devoid of intellectual activity. Rather, she champions the use of fictional television to learn about linguistics and at the same time promotes enriched television viewing experiences by explaining the role of language in creating humor, conveying drama, and developing identifiable characters. The essays gathered in this volume explore specific areas of linguistics, pr...

What could The Duchess of Windsor, Natty Boh, a talking fish, and a goggle-wearing rescue dog possibly have in common? And what if you add to the list: love in an inundated mill town and a man more plant than human? Read The Monster of the Gunpowder River and Other Fabrications to find out. In his book of seven fictional short stories, the author takes the reader on a trip spanning over a hundred years without leaving an area of a few dozen square miles. What these tales have in common is ...