Ronald Butters, Margreta de Grazia, Connie Eble, and Michael Montgomery discuss whether American English reflects traditional and contemporary social values. In particular, they debate whether language confirms, disguises, denies, or distorts cultural and social expressions of notions about issues such as race, religion, intelligence, sex, and death.
At the time of this interview, Butters was professor of English at Duke University and editor of the journal American Speech. De Grazia, a Fellow at the National Humanities Center (1982-83), was professor of English at Georgetown University. Eble was professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Montgomery was professor of English at the University of South Carolina.
This edition of Soundings was conducted by Wayne J. Pond.
