[Ads-l] On Language

[Rich Lowenthal]

Nitsuh Abebe has written for the Times for several years on a variety of 
topics, some of which can be considered language-related. (He wrote on 
ChatGPT's use of the em-dash last September.) I don't know what his 
background is, or if he has any language-related training.

In general, the Times has been moving away from "specialists" and 
towards more general writers. They reassigned most of their arts critics 
months ago (including some long-serving and superb critics). They seem 
to be paralleling the current societal trend against experts.


------ Original Message ------
>From "Laurence Horn" <00001c05436ff7cf-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 4/5/2026 08:23:40
Subject On Language

>This weekend NYT unveiled its new vision for the Magazine, which inter alia revives the On Language column, which William Safire inaugurated and Ben Zimmer continued before the Times, in its words today, “wound it down”.  The “primary writer” of the up-wound column is Nitsuh Abebe, whom they identify as
>“a story writer” and who Google informs me has been primarily a music writer for various venues.  Does anyone know whether he’s done any other work on language?
>
>LH
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org