The old saying goes, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”
Author Diane Proctor Reeder agrees – but for a different reason than the expression of vocal intonations or volume used in statements that can help others or hurt their feelings, depending on the delivery.
Reeder, who wrote What the Word BE: Why Black English is the King’s (James) English!, says what’s been traditionally regarded as dialect in Detroit and other urban cities has roots in a “dual heritage.” At 6 p.m. Aug. 16 at Pages Bookshop, 19560 Grand River Ave., she’ll discuss the origins of some phrases and terms traditionally thought of as bad grammar.
Proctor Reeder says many variations in common American language have roots in England and resemble speech patterns used in parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Reeder’s other books include A Diary of Joseph and Listen: A Symphony of Faith. She’s also authoring a biography of late Detroit lawyer and political advocate Robert Millender.
Author will speak about ‘black English’ at Pages Bookshop Aug. 16 added by TheHUB on
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