What comes to mind when you think of Baltimore? The Wire? John Waters movies? The Orioles? Freddy Gray? Maryland crabs? Mayoral shenanigans? Like any city, Bawlmer (in the local dialect) conjures up positive and negative associations. If you’re a native or resident of Baltimore, you’re likely to pretty quickly come up with “hon.” This little word evokes mixed and big feelings and manages to provide an elaborate illustration of this quirky and fragmented place. David Puglia explains the story and implications of “hon” in his book Tradition, Urban Identity, and the Baltimore Hon: The Folk in the City (Lexington Books 2018). David is a folklorist, an assistant professor in the English Dept. of Bronx Community College and a native Bawlmorean. I’ll rely on our friends at CUNY SUM for this perfect encapsulation of his book.
You can read more about David’s work on CUNY Academic Commons. And if you want even more “hon” talk after listening to our conversation, you can pop over to New Books Network to listen to another interview with David.
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