While men’s hair can often be neutral, women’s hair is fraught with questions of sexuality, professionalism, and identity.
Deborah Tannen
Deborah Tannen is professor of linguistics at Georgetown University. Among her many books is You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, which spent nearly four years on the New York Times best-seller list. "Why Mothers and Daughters Tangle Over Hair" is from Me, My Hair and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession, edited by Elizabeth Benedict, forthcoming from Algonquin Books in September. Tannen's most recent book is You Were Always Mom's Favorite!
Posted inSpecial Report
We the Government
When we recall the now-famous incantation, “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country,” we focus on its content: John F. Kennedy invited Americans to become active participants in, rather than passive recipients of, American democracy. But the word that stands out for me is the […]
Posted inFeatures
Let Them Eat Words
I’m one of many Democrats who watch in frustration (mixed with a touch of awe) as Republicans win with words, even as the labels they devise for their policies distort or belie the facts. Take the repeal of the estate tax. An “estate” sounds like a large amount of money. Indeed, before President Bush persuaded […]