Reconstructing English: From the 1890s to the 1990s and Beyond

Argues that an understanding of developments in the 1890s (when disparate strands were brought together as one discipline--English--along with a movement toward uniform standards) can inform responses to current movements and initiatives. Outlines 5 significant initiatives that came to the author’s attention during his editorship of “English Journal” (1987-1994) that hold promise for the next century of English.