Gretchen McCulloch
Internet linguist; author of Because Internet; co-hosts the Lingthusiasm podcast.
True Color: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color–from Azure to Zinc Pink by Kory Stamper
I have been waiting for this book from Kory Stamper since I was a fan of her blog in 2014 and it does not disappoint.
on allthingslinguistic.com · 20 Mar 2026
Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper
Her first book was Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries, which we also loved, and now Kory is back with the fruits of her dive into the mid-20th century quest to standardize colour terms
on allthingslinguistic.com · 20 Mar 2026
Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith
I’m pairing with Bea Wolf: Zach Weinersmith’s retelling of Beowulf as a kids fable in full Anglo Saxon meter. It’s glorious.
on allthingslinguistic.com · 26 Dec 2025
Hellspark by Janet Kagan
so I’ve paired it with Hellspark, Janet Kagen’s sf book of translation and cultural miscommunication, which several @lingthusiasm listeners told us to read and they were EXTREMELY RIGHT.
on allthingslinguistic.com · 26 Dec 2025
The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin (whose geology-based swear word system I loved linguistically) for their extensive histories of systemic exploitation
on allthingslinguistic.com · 26 Dec 2025
Everything Gretchen McCulloch recommends — not just books — on rcmnd →