Most people do not realize when a personal message they receive was written by AI, study finds When people know someone used AI to write a message, they see the person as lazy or insincere.

Most people do not realize when a personal message they receive was written by AI, study finds
theconversation.com/most-people-...

The Degendering of English English is evolving into a gender-free language, but the rate and the scope of change have varied.

My latest article for "Psychology Today":

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smal...

Your sarcasm is showing — and its history is surprisingly violent Some people use sarcasm jokingly. But funnily enough, we tend not to find it witty when we're on the receiving end.

I was interviewed by a reporter for National Public Radio for an article on sarcasm:

www.npr.org/2026/04/08/n...

Is It Wrong to Write a Book with A.I.? The horror novel “Shy Girl” was cancelled for being generated at least partly through artificial intelligence. Would we ever accept such a book as art?

www.newyorker.com/culture/open...

Opinion | What Trump Is Doing to the English Language

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/o...

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation Both President Trump and Vice President Vance pronounce Iran as ‘Ih-RAN,’ not ‘Ih-RON.’ A linguist says that how the country’s name is pronounced may be a political choice.

Is it ‘Ih-ran’ or ‘E-ron’? Inside the politics of pronunciation
theconversation.com/is-it-ih-ran...

If using ChatGPT is cheating, what about ghostwriting? The old debate behind a new panic Has our culture’s begrudging acceptance of ghostwriting paved the way for everyone – not just the rich and famous – to offload the hard work of writing?

If using ChatGPT is cheating, what about ghostwriting? The old debate behind a new panic
theconversation.com/if-using-cha...

How Bad Is Plagiarism, Really? From ancient Rome to the era of A.I., people have prized originality, but the line where influence ends and cribbing begins is notoriously blurry.

Absolutely thrilled to report that my book "Strikingly Similar" has been reviewed in "The New Yorker" (March 30 issue)!

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Writer denies it, but publisher pulls horror novel after multiple allegations of AI use One of the first controversies of its kind.

arstechnica.com/ai/2026/03/h...

With AI finishing your sentences, what will happen to your unique voice on the page? Chatbots tend to produce solid writing, but their prose largely reflects a single, uniform voice.

With AI finishing your sentences, what will happen to your unique voice on the page?
theconversation.com/with-ai-fini...

How America Learned to Love Barnes & Noble Again Anti-chain animus is receding.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The 1 Question to Ask Before Making a Sarcastic Comment Sarcasm tends to unravel in certain situations and relationships.

I was interviewed for an article that appeared in "Time" magazine yesterday:

time.com/article/2026...

Unconscious Plagiarism: Fact or Fiction? Writers, musicians, and artists accused of plagiarism sometimes insist that this happened inadvertently and unconsciously. Does psychological research support such a claim?

My lates post at “Psychology Today”:

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smal...

It’s never too late to learn a language – adults and kids bring different strengths to the task While a young language learner can more easily acquire a native accent, adults retain the ability to learn new languages well into later life.

It’s never too late to learn a language – adults and kids bring different strengths to the task
theconversation.com/its-never-to...

Why Kids Are Starting to Sound Like Their Grandparents

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/c...

What Happens When Books Aren’t News In a sense, the decline of book reviews, like the decline of newspapers themselves, is a story about disaggregation.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

Opinion | AI Detection Pushed My Students to Use AI The perverse incentives of our attempts to combat cheating.

www.chronicle.com/article/ai-d...

What you need to know about plagiarism in the age of AI What you need to know about plagiarism in the age of AI

A link to my interview on Memphis Channel 3 News “Live at 9” yesterday morning:

wreg.com/video/what-y...

The 6-7 craze offered a brief window into the hidden world of children From Pig Latin to Punch Buggy, kids have long used nonsensical language, gestures and games to carve out cultures of their own.

The 6-7 craze offered a brief window into the hidden world of children
theconversation.com/the-6-7-craz...

It's publication day for my book "Strikingly Similar"! It's gotten positive reviews in venues such as "Publishers Weekly" and "The Times of London." This is a picture of it on dispaly at the publisher's bookstore.

Is the Dictionary Done For? The print edition of Merriam-Webster was once a touchstone of authority and stability. Then the internet brought about a revolution.

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

The Last Days of the Southern Drawl By the end of my life, there may be no one left who speaks like my father outside the hollers and the one-horse towns.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The Gamification of English The popularity of gaming culture is reflected in new terms that are entering the language.

My latest article for “Psychology Today”:

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smal...

Canadian linguists ask prime minister to stop spelling like a Brit After a plethora of British spellings emerged in the government’s budget, academics and editors urged him to utilize, not utilise, Canadian English.

wapo.st/49uUq1B

What if Readers Like A.I.-Generated Fiction? If economic and technological transformations have changed our relationship with literature before, they could do so again.

What if Readers Like A.I.-Generated Fiction? www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...

The Rise of the Vibe What matters more — feelings or facts? The increasingly common use of "vibe" may provide a clue.

My latest article for "Psychology Today":

www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smal...

A Very Big Fight Over a Very Small Language In the Swiss Alps, a plan to tidy up Romansh—spoken by less than one per cent of the country—set off a decades-long quarrel over identity, belonging, and the sound of authenticity.

www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

2025’s words of the year reflect a year of digital disillusionment From AI slop to rage bait, to the cryptic ‘6-7,’ this year’s slate captures a growing sense that online life is flooded with fakery, frustration and meaninglessness.

Singing dictators, Skrilla, and an embarrassed Prime Minister--they all make an appearance in my "words of the year" roundup:

theconversation.com/2025s-words-...

Why Taylor Swift’s Accent Has Changed And yours might too.

www.theatlantic.com/family/2025/...

Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges Resilience is often presented as feats of bravery and endurance. But everyday practices like journaling, drafting a text or even writing a to-do list are manifestations of a capacity to adapt.

Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
theconversation.com/writing-buil...