Extinct Words

Interviewees: Carson Evans, Eury Kim, Ji Kim, Marie Otsuka, Marcus Peabody, Bobby Joe Smith III, Angela Torchio and June Yoon

Public discourse inevitably changes over time. Extinct Words highlights several slang words disappearing from the English Lexicon, identified by the Dictionary of American Regional English. In this audio piece, interviewees from various parts of the US and around the globe attempt to discuss and define these endangered words. Examples include bonnyclabber (thick sour milk) and sonsy (cute, charming, lively). I had so much fun interviewing people and editing the audio. This layered mashup of voices touches upon themes surrounding conversation, language and repetition, humor, lost meaning and place.

At moments, the conversations converge to create a jumble of noise. It becomes increasingly difficult to pinpoint one voice from the others. Other moments distill into discreet voices jumping back and forth, surrounded by silence. The meaning emerges from the noise itself, rather than from the specifics of the content.

Spread from thesis book transcribing the audio visually

Ji Kim displaying a card she was asked to define

Bobby Joe Smith III speaking confidently into the Zoom recorder