Karen Stollznow

Karen Stollznow joined the CU Department of Linguistics as a CLASP Visiting Scholar in Spring 2025. Dr. Stollznow is an Australian-American linguist and researcher at the Griffith Centre for Social and Cultural Research at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia. During her time at CU, she has worked on two book projects. Beyond Words: How We Learn, Use, and Lose Language (Cambridge University Press, 2026) is an introduction to psycholinguistics that explores first and second language acquisition, language processing and production, and language disorders and disabilities. Her second project, Women Versus Women, examines internalized sexist and misogynistic beliefs, attitudes, and stereotypes as they manifest in language.

Dr. Stollznow is the author of several books focusing on language, culture, and discrimination. Her previous book, Bitch: The Journey of a Word (Cambridge University Press, 2024), examines the controversial history of the word, its meanings and uses, and its relationship to feminism. Missed Conceptions: How We Make Sense of Infertility (Broadleaf Books, 2023) explores women’s health and the ways we talk about infertility in society. On the Offensive: Prejudice in Language Past and Present (Cambridge University Press, 2020) investigates sexism, racism, ableism, ageism, and other forms of prejudice in language.

Dr. Stollznow is a proponent of popularizing linguistics and is committed to communicating language science to the general public. She writes about language, meaning, and culture for a range of publications, including Aeon, The Conversation, and Psychology Today.