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Fresh AIr linguist Geoff Nunberg

In memoriam: Geoff Nunberg

Fresh Air remembers its longtime language commentator, who died on August 11, 2020. He was 75-years-old. 

 

Since his debut on Fresh Air in 1987, Geoff recorded hundreds of segments for the show, discussing how pop culture, technology, the business world, and politics keep changing our language, and the ways in which language evolves over time with each new generation. His "Word of the Year" selections were eagerly anticipated by Fresh Air staff and fans alike. This collection includes a small sampling of some of our favorite Geoff Nunberg segments from his many years on the show.

 

We miss Geoff enormously. He will always be a member of the Fresh Air family.

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52:30

In pursuit of 'Instagram face,' are we losing the imperfections that make us human?

Jia Tolentino is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the bestselling author of the essay collection "Trick Mirror." Seven years ago, she coined the phrase Instagram face, capturing the beauty ideal of the social media era. Her new essay asks what that face has become.

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52:30

Broadway legend André De Shields helps bring 'Hadestown' to the big screen

De Shields made his Broadway debut in the 1975 original production of The Wiz. He won a Tony in 2019 for his performance in Hadestown and co-stars in the new film of last year's London revival.

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

42:18

Harriet Clark's novel 'The Hill' draws on her 37 years visiting her mom in prison

Clark was a baby in 1981 when her mother, a member of a radical left-wing group, acted as a getaway driver in the robbery of a Brink's truck. Her new novel is based on the years that followed.

Related segments from the Fresh Air Archive:

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