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Word Magic: How Etymology Ignites Precision, Curiosity, and Joy

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Word Magic: How Etymology Ignites Precision, Curiosity, and Joy

November 5th at 6:30 p.m.

Join us at the Sherman Library for Word Magic: How Etymology Ignites Precision, Curiosity, and Joy on Thursday, November 5th at 6:30 p.m. presented by author Jess Zafarris. This program is part of the Sherman Library Centennial series

Dive into the surprising, delightful stories hidden in English with Jess Zafarris. Based on her book Useless Etymology, this engaging talk explores word origins, persistent myths, and quirky language history that will leave audiences entertained and newly curious about everyday words, while unveiling the utility of etymology and the ways it can keep you and your voice human in a world brimming with empty, robotic slop.

Jess Zafarris is the author of several bestselling books on word origins, including Once Upon a Word (Rockridge Press, 2020), Words from Hell (Chambers, 2023), Useless Etymology (Chambers, 2025), and Into the Words (Chambers, 2026). She is a longtime video content creator who has built a devoted social media following on TikTok and Instagram, and she co-hosts the popular YouTube podcast Words Unravelled with Rob Watts, a.k.a. RobWords. She has been a keynote speaker, panelist, and emcee at events including SXSW EDU, State of Social, the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, and Rising Phoenix, and she teaches writing- and author-centric courses for a range of universities and online platforms. Her blog, UselessEtymology.com, has been educating curious word lovers for more than a decade. She has served as a content and audience director at media brands including Adweek, Writer's Digest, PRINT magazine, and Ragan Communications; she still ghostwrites for ad agency executives and produces events about social media and content strategy.

This is a free in-person program at the Sherman Library. Register online at shermanlibrary.org/registration-dropdown or via email at slprograms@biblio.org or via phone at (860) 354-2455.