Noam Chomsky is considered the founder of modern linguistics and is one of the most cited scholars in modern history. Among his groundbreaking books are Syntactic Structures, Language and Mind, Aspects of the Theory of Syntax, and The Minimalist Program, each of which has made distinct contributions to the development of the field. He has received numerous awards, including the Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences, the Helmholtz Medal and the Ben Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. Chomsky joined the UA in fall 2017, coming from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked since 1955 as professor of linguistics, then professor of linguistics, emeritus.

Author and theorist Paul Mattick is the Rail’s Field Notes editor. His most recent books are Theory as Critique: Essays on Capital (Haymarket Books, 2019) and Business as Usual: The Economic Crisis and the Failure of Capitalism (Reaktion Books, 2011).