"Sprawling, uncoordinated, uneven, noisy, and appealing," wrote one reviewer of the first edition of this book, published on 1 January 1980. "The language is in rude health," wrote another.Exactly a decade later, here is the book anew, with the same editors but with fifty fresh contributors writing essays and poems that engage our language today.Imaginative attention is bestowed on the changes of recent years, changes not only in the language but in how language is understood. In the forefront are the relations between British English, American English, and those other Englishes with which they compete or cooperate.The nervous negotiations of gender and feminism. The darkness of AIDS. The bright flicker of the computer. The old smolderings of "standard English" and correctness. The "bad language" that has lately done so well in our society. How all this has been politicized--or is it rather that its inevitably political nature has only now been recognized?Here these and many other facets of the language catch the various light. What has changed is understood in relation to what has not changed, and what has been gained in relation to what has been lost. There is sweep as well as detail, telescope as well as microscope, in this contemplation of the world of our language as it enters the world of the 1990s.The State of the Language has been prepared in cooperation with the English-Speaking Union of San Francisco.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Housing Works Used Book Cafe is an independent open bookstore in New York City that presents great used, new and antiquarian books, good coffee, the opportunity to hear from many of the best writers and performers in America and the chance to make a difference in the fight against AIDS and Homelessness, in New York City and the world. We are a non-profit bookstore relying on volunteers to help run the store. Housing Works provides housing, health care, job training and advocacy for people living with HIV and AIDS. Fighting AIDS One Book At A Time

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby Street, New York, NY, 10012, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We guarantee the condition of every book as described in our listings. We offer full refunds on books returned to us for any reason within 30 days. If you have any questions, please use the Ask Bookseller a Question link to contact us and we'll respond within 2 business days.

Shipping Terms

All books shipped USPS with delivery confirmation in the USA. Typically we ship media mail for $3.99, Priority for $7.99, packed in poly bags or bubble mailers. More valuable books and heavy items are wrapped and boxed. For international orders, we ship through Landmark Global.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	7 to 14 business days	3 to 5 business days
First item	US$ 3.98	US$ 9.40

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.