January 14, 2026: Shift in landscape

Today is about laughter, and changes in language, and how the history of each is important to us as a nation as well. We’ve got one last best of word list for 2025 to address before we can fully commit ourselves to 2026 with word nerd Emily Brewster, as we look at the most democratic nomination and choosings of the American Dialect Society. At Smith College, a history professor is offering a course this year that is part examination, part exploration, and part memoir. Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor is teaching a class on the work of her father, titled "Richard Pryor’s America", which looks at his life, innovations, influence, and her memories with him. The course precedes an forthcoming book that tackles the same. We speak with the historian and author about her personal journey to teaching this class, and the repercussions of that voyage intersecting with a certain notorious and important word.