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A virtual talk with author Gabe Henry
VIRTUAL | After the event date, watch the talk any time through Library Speakers Consortium
Have you ever wondered why the English spelling of words is sometimes weird? Anyone who has the misfortune to write in English will, every now and then, struggle with its spelling. Come on a surprisingly hilarious journey through the history of the English language with author Gabe Henry.
In our erratic system, choir and liar rhyme, daughter and laughter don’t, and somehow you and ewe can’t agree on a single letter. So why do we still use it? If our spelling is so inconsistent, why haven’t we tried to fix it?
In Enough is Enuf, Gabe Henry traces the "simplified spelling movement" from medieval England to Revolutionary America, from the birth of standup comedy to contemporary pop music, and explores its lasting influence in words like color (without a U), plow (without -ugh), and the iconic ’90s ballad "Nothing Compares 2 U." Finally, Henry brings us to the digital age, where the swift pace of online exchanges now pushes us all 2ward simplification.
Gabe Henry is the author of three books, and his work has been published in TIME, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, US News & World Report, and more. He has spent more than a decade exploring the strange and forgotten history of simplified spelling, which, by his own admission, has only made him a worse speller.
Borrow Enough is Enuf from our collection
This live, virtual event is presented by BPL's digital resource, Library Speakers Consortium, which curates virtual presentations with top authors from around the world.
Register to attend this virtual talk live and submit questions in advance for the author.
