The Promise of Language (Paperback)

Paperback. Recounting a life--and language--by an esteemed scholar of African American rhetoric. Finalist for Foreword Indies Book Awards in the Autobiography/ Memoir category!Featured in 2026 AUPresses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show!In this powerful coming-of-age memoir, author, scholar, and linguist Keith Gilyard presents a testament to the transformative power of language. From his earliest days in the segregated New York City public schools of the 1950s and '60s through his ascent in academia, the rhythm of Black America's vernacular and music provides the backdrop to Gilyard's intellectual awakening. He absorbed language through music, television, and radio, recognizing early on that his mother was a "language chameleon," a woman from Georgia who never sounded Black southern. His journey intertwines personal growth with the multiplicity of language and the sociopolitical upheavals of the Cold War era and the Civil Rights, Black Power, angb00d Black Arts movements. Through vibrant anecdotes and introspection, Gilyard brings his experiences and realizations to life from memories of barbershops, churches, and schools, to lessons from mentors and influencers like Ed Bullins, Sonia Sanchez, Don L. Lee (later Haki Madhubuti), Toni Morrison, and Paule Marshall. Each encounter brings clarity and a new lens through which to understand the world, revealing how language shapes our lives and how our lives shape language. Each encounter brings clarity and a new lens through which to understand the world, revealing how language shapes our lives and how our lives shape language. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.…