Readers of Katherine Dunn won’t be surprised that this was her father’s favorite sentence, or that, as a young girl, she heard it as a kind of profane poem, a secret song. For many of us, the language of Geek Love carries a similar staying power, born of Dunn’s agile use of language and her strange, beautiful diction. And as a true exegete of the expletive, she remained undividedly devoted to obscenity—both as scholar and practitioner.In On Cussing, Dunn sketches a brief history of swear words and creates something of a field guide to their types and usages, from the common threat (“I’ll squash you like a shithouse mouse”) to the portmanteau intensifier (“Fan-fucking-tastic”). But she also explores their physiology—the physical impact on the reader or listener—and makes an argument for how and when to cuss with maximum effect. Equal parts informative and hilarious, this volume will delight Dunn’s legion of fans, but it’s also a must-have for anyone looking to more successfully wield their expletives, be it in writing or in everyday speech.

    Getting pregnant with my boss’s baby was never a part of the plan.  It all starts as a business transaction,I get double the pay and he gets double the pleasure. And then things change. What was supposed to be his pleasure,Slowly becomes all about me.And man…don’t I need it!  I know this is wrong, I know the infamous playboy is playing a game, And I am planked in the middle of the board without a dice. But I just don’t want to kiss him goodbye. At least not yet… He’s inked my name all over him, And I am hiding this huge secret.  What if this secret of mine tears us apart!