Virtual Memories Show 430:
Jesse Sheidlower
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Lexicographer, bartender and bon vivant Jesse Sheidlower rejoins the show to talk about his new project, the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction. We get into the 20-year-old origins of the project and the ways it mirrors the development of the internet over that span, the importance of fandom and community in science fiction, the fields into which he wants the dictionary to expand, how the culture transitioned away from treating SF & fanzines as ephemera, and his own history with the genre. We also discuss the ways in which the Oxford English Dictionary was the original crowdsourced project, how people misunderstand the mission & spirit of the OED, the variety of rabbit-holes a lexicographer can fall down, and my own experience creating a glossary for the pharma manufacturing industry. Plus, we talk about his pandemic life, the Threesome Tollbooth, and the post-COVID party he’s planning! Give it a listen! And go check out the Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction!
Enjoy the conversation! Then check out the archives for more great episodes!
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About our Guest
Adapted from his Twitter bio: Lexicographer & Threesome Tollbooth bar manager. Editor/coder, SFdictionary.com. Adjunct at Columbia. Past Pres, Amer. Dialect Soc. Ex-OED. The F-Word. Barbells; Perl, Python (There’s a much more extensive bio at Jesse’s site.)
Follow Jesse on Twitter.
Here’s the first time we recorded, back in 2013:
You should also check out our 2018 episode.
Credits: This episode’s music is Fella by Hal Mayforth, used with permission from the artist. The conversation was recorded remotely via Zencastr. I used a Heil PR-40 Dynamic Studio Recording Microphone
