Michael Adams, author of Slang: The People's Poetry, has already favored us with a list of five great slang dictionaries to accompany our two-part interview with him. Now he presents five more must-reads in the field of slang studies, from scholars with a diverse set of perspectives.  Continue reading...

This article is going live on the first day of my last week of school for this school year. As you read this, if you're an early reader, I am packing up my colored chalk and putting away my homework charts for the summer.  Continue reading...

For me to say that the idea for my novel Twilight of Avalon came to me in a dream seems almost too fantastic a story to be believed. But it really is true, and it happened this way.  Continue reading...

In his new book, Slang: The People's Poetry, Indiana University English professor Michael Adams tackles the tough question: what is the nature of slang? Adams, also the author of Slayer Slang: A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Lexicon, looks beyond dictionary definitions of slang to examine the fascinating interplay of social and aesthetic qualities in "the poetry of everyday speech." In this first of a two-part interview, Adams explains how the linguistic practice of slang balances the social and the aesthetic, and considers what directions slang might take in the future.  Continue reading...

Teachers, are you wondering how you can use Visual Thesaurus word maps to introduce new concepts to your students? Check out this excerpt from Sharon Walpole and Michael C. McKenna's Differentiated Reading Instruction for some ideas.  Continue reading...

Inspire students to keep up with their summer reading!

Barnes & Noble's Summer Reading Program

Borders' Kids Reading Challenge

National Endowment for the Humanities' Summertime Favorites