Dennis Baron is Professor Emeritus of English and Linguistics at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on the technologies of communication; language legislation and linguistic rights; language reform; gender issues in language and more.

Among his earlier books are Grammar and Gender; A Better Pencil: Readers, Writers and the Digital Revolution; and What’s Your Pronoun: Beyond He and She.

His latest book, YOU CAN’T AWAYS SAY WHAT YOU WANT: THE PARADOX OF FREE SPEECH, is published by Cambridge University Press. We spoke with him via Skype on February 21, 2023.

Thanks to Roy Zimmerman for permission to share his music.

“The Sing-Along Second Amendment” by Roy Zimmerman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuNEq7gHqF8

In the Gun Law Fights of 2023, a Need for Experts on the Weapons of 1791 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/us/gun-law-1791-supreme-court.html

Two Different Versions of ‘Cancel Culture’ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/opinion/lab-leak-dilbert-cancel-culture.html

This Supreme Court Case Could Decide The Future Of The Internet As We Know It https://www.huffpost.com/entry/section-230-supreme-court_n_63e3ba9ce4b0c8e3fc88d2dd

4 reasons Big Tech is worried about the Supreme Court this week https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/20/big-tech-supreme-court-00083543

It’s Time to Tear Up Big Tech’s Get-Out-of-Free Card https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/opinion/facebook-section-230-supreme-court.html?action=click&module=Well&pgtype=Homepage&section=Guest%20Essays

The Supreme Court’s Big Internet Cases Are Scrambling The Partisan Divide https://www.huffpost.com/entry/section-230-supreme-court-gonzalez-google-partisan-amicus-brief_n_63efbd79e4b022eb3e368382

When Do Creepy Facebook Messages Cross a Constitutional Line? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/20/us/politics/supreme-court-facebook-stalking-colorado.html

Who’s Afraid of Black History? Henry Louis Gates, Jr. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/17/opinion/desantis-florida-african-american-studies-black-history.html

Republicans take aim at risque jokes and romance novels with anti-sex bills https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/republican-anti-sex-legislation-state-level

Oregon overturns ‘second amendment sanctuary’ law in blow to gun movement https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/16/oregon-second-amendment-sanctuary-decision

American English Needs Immigrants https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/opinion/english-immigrants-language.html

In Wisconsin’s supreme court race, a super-rich beer family calls the shots https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/21/wisconsin-supreme-court-primary-election-uihlein-family-campaign-finance

US supreme court lets Arkansas law penalising Israel boycotts stand https://www.theguardian.com/law/2023/feb/21/us-supreme-court-arkansas-anti-boycott-israel-law

Top state officials push to make spread of US election misinformation illegal https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/23/us-spreading-election-misinformation-illegal