The Language of Names What We Call Ourselves and Why It Matters [Paperback]

As delightful and playful as it is profound and serious,The Language of Namesis an absolute original -- a fascinating book that reveals us to ourselves, that demonstrates the endless variety of ways in which names shape our daily lives. Drawing on social and literary history, psychology and anthropology, anecdotes, and life stories, biographer Justin Kaplan and novelist Anne Bernays have written a fascinating account of names and naming in contemporary society that touches on class structure, ethnic and religious practices, manners, and everyday life.
Graceful, eloquent, and richly informed,The Language of Namesexplores and illuminates our favorite subject -- ourselves.Justin Kaplanis the author ofMr. Clemens and Mark Twain,which was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Award, and ofWalt Whitman: A Life,which won the American Book Award. He is a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, novelist Anne Bernays.

Anne Bernaysis a novelist (includingProfessor RomeoandGrowing Up Rich)and coauthor, with her husband, Justin Kaplan, ofBack Then: Two Lives in 1950s New York.Her articles, book reviews and essays have appeared in such major publications asThe New York Times, Sports IllustratedandThe Nation.A long-time teacher of writing, she is coauthor, with Pamela Painter, of the textbookWhat If?Ms. Bernays currently teaches at Harvard's Nieman Foundation. She and Mr. Kaplan have six grandchildren. They live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Truro, Cape Cod.
Contents

Preface

1. Masters of the Good Name

2. American Adam

3. Names in the Melting Pot

4. Black Naming: An Old and Controversial Issue

5. City of Names

6. A Strange Kind of Magick Bias

7. A Boy Named Sue and Others

8. Maiden Names

9. Rules of Engagement: The Etil39