Humanities Kansas Speaker: Mary Kohn

We’ve all heard that newscasters are trained to speak with a Midwest accent— the so-called “accent from nowhere.” In fact, language reflects people, history, and community. It is intimately tied to our immigrant past, a foundation that, surprisingly, is always changing. This talk will examine the ways language has changed in Kansas over the past hundred years through the examination of archival and contemporary oral history.

Mary Kohn is an associate professor of English and the director of the Chapman Center for Rural Studies at Kansas State University.

“You Say Tomato, I say Tomahto: Evolution of Language in Kansas” is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.