Hi, I’m David
I’m a writer and a linguist. Much of my research begins with small observations about language: why a phrase catches on, what a public sign assumes about its reader, how technology changes the way we evaluate credibility, and what these details reveal about the people and institutions involved.
My writing also moves beyond linguistics. I’m interested in the essay as a form of thought: a way to examine an experience, develop an argument, follow an association, or give precise language to something not yet fully understood.
New Word Wall is where I collect and develop both kinds of work. Rather than a conventional publication with a fixed editorial program, it is a growing journal and repository for research, field notes, essays, experiments, and other materials that may contribute to a larger inquiry.
About the name
Despite the name, New Word Wall is not primarily a collection of newly coined words. Its subjects may include signs, sounds, maps, models, conversations, interfaces, personal essays, and developing research questions. The “wall” is best understood as a place to gather observations, record interpretations, and identify connections.
I’m interested in linguistics both as a formal field and as a method for examining social life. The research here draws most often from sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, humanistic geography, and language technology, while the writing is free to range more broadly.
I’m based in Colorado and open to editorial and research conversations, collaborations, and thoughtful corrections.