{"product_id":"the-promise-of-language-keith-gilyard-9780814351949","title":"The Promise of Language: A Memoir","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRecounting a life--and language--by an esteemed scholar of African American rhetoric.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this powerful coming-of-age memoir, author, scholar, and language scholar Keith Gilyard presents a testament to the transformative power of language. From his earliest days in the segregated New York City public schools of the 1950s and '60s through his ascent in academia, the rhythm of Black America's vernacular and music provides the backdrop to Gilyard's intellectual awakening. He absorbed language through music, television, and radio, recognizing early on that his mother was a \"language chameleon,\" a woman from Georgia who never sounded Black southern. His journey intertwines personal growth with the multiplicity of language and the sociopolitical upheavals of the Cold War era and the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Arts movements. Through vibrant anecdotes and introspection, Gilyard brings his experiences and realizations to life from memories of barbershops, churches, and schools, to lessons from mentors and influencers like Ed Bullins, Sonia Sanchez, Don L. Lee (later Haki Madhubuti), Toni Morrison, and Paule Marshall. Each encounter brings clarity and a new lens through which to understand the world, revealing how language shapes our lives and how our lives shape language.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Keith Gilyard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0814351948\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780814351949\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Wayne State University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/14\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 166\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback","brand":"Keith Gilyard","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46451199279359,"sku":"9780814351949","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_91578899-aa0e-4acf-ae44-9d3558443f7d.jpg?v=1735876752","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-promise-of-language-keith-gilyard-9780814351949","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}