White Author, Black English. Problem?
Mark Twain famously depicted what he called the “Missouri Negro dialect” of Jim. Would that be acceptable today?
Listen longer
Slate Plus members get ad-free versions of all Slate podcasts, plus extra segments, bonus episodes, and more. Try it free today.
Listen & Subscribe
Choose your preferred player:
Apple Podcasts
Get Your Slate Plus Feed
Copy your ad-free feed link below to load into your player:
Episode Notes
For centuries now, white authors have depicted Black characters speaking some form of Black vernacular English. Too often, of course, the portrayal has been one of ridicule, a minstrel-like mocking of the way that African Americans are deemed to speak. But many serious novelists and poets have attempted to faithfully and respectfully record the way that people—all people—really talk. Is that OK?
Podcast production by Mike Vuolo.
