English language oddities, Working for justice after wrongful conviction

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Old books on shelf.
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay 

From pronunciations to spellings, the English language has its share of fun and puzzling oddities. The author of a new book on linguistic quirks shares some of her favorites. We also talk with a Wisconsin man who became a lawyer after spending a decade in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

Featured in this Show

  • Wrongfully convicted man's book traces his fight for justice for himself and others

    Jarrett Adams served ten years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. After securing his release, he became a lawyer dedicated to overturning other wrongful convictions. He joins us to talk about putting his story into a new book, and how the criminal justice system needs to improve.

  • Why does the English language have so many exceptions to its own rules?

    For every spelling or pronunciation rule in the English language, there seems to be an exception. A linguist talks with us about her new book exploring the oddities of English and where they come from.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Tyler Ditter Technical Director
  • Lee Rayburn Technical Director
  • Dean Knetter Producer
  • Lorin Cox Producer
  • Jarrett Adams Guest
  • Arika Okrent Guest

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