When Jennifer K.N. Heinmiller inherited the million-word project that would become the “Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English,” its principal author had blown past several deadlines, lost his publisher and then died. The dictionary was a unique but expensive undertaking. It represented 85 years of research that would eventually produce a 1,225-page volume weighing about 12 pounds. Bo Emerson spoke with Heinmiller about the dictionary and he’ll bring us that conversation.

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