1st Edition
The Great Pronoun Shift The Big Impact of Little Parts of Speech
This book is a holistic exploration of personal pronouns in English and their development. In conversational prose and drawing on linguistic and psychological research, Helene Seltzer Krauthamer gives an overview of what pronouns are, why they are problematic, what they reveal about us, how they can be used effectively, where they came from, and where they are going. Assuming no specialized knowledge and with helpful real-world exercises at the end of each chapter, the book aids growth and inspires thought in students and other readers, spelling out the implications of these changes for teachers, writers, and all who write or speak in English.
Table of Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
Foreword
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The pronoun problem, again
Chapter 2: Pronouns in print and on Broadway
Chapter 3: Nonbinary pronouns: In transition
Chapter 4: Pronouns for pets, planets, and other bodies
Chapter 5: Where art thou? Pronouns in history
Chapter 6: Religious pronouns: Thanks be to Them!
Chapter 7: Neopronouns: The final act of self-actualization
Chapter 8: Breaking the grammar binary: The third word category
Chapter 9: What’s a teacher-student-writer-editor-ally- person to do?
Appendix: Signs of them
Biography
Helene Seltzer Krauthamer is Professor of English, and English and Foreign Languages Program Coordinator, at the University of the District of Columbia, USA.
"This work is less addressed to linguists and more to educators, editors, and aspiring allies to gender-expansive individuals. Each chapter ends with an annotated bibliography and a set of activities, which can be used to hone one’s prodar, or ‘sensitivity to pronouns whenever they occur" - Tran Truong, Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago
