Long, careful writing about how we talk to each other.
Features Writer
Priya Raghunathan
Madison, WI · Covers Family language, memory, and dialect
Priya Raghunathan writes about families, inherited phrases, and the vocabulary of care. She trained as a linguist before turning to reported essays, and her work often follows one phrase through three generations of a household. She lives in Madison with her partner and an elderly dog who responds to exactly eleven words.
Northern winters gave English a quiet vocabulary of glare, crust, and thaw. A field guide to the words that only make sense once you have stood on a frozen lake.
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Sunday mornings
The Sunday Utterby
One essay, three good sentences we found during the week, and a short note from the editor, delivered before the coffee is cold. It runs about 900 words and is meant to be read slowly, ideally out loud to someone at the table.