Last week, I watched a live interview with Erika L. Sanchez about her book Crying In The Bathroom. I had never read anything by Sanchez before, but her interview made me pick up a copy of her memoir. “What are some reactions that you’ve received from other people about your memoir?” the interviewer asked Sanchez. “Well the most surprising thing as I mentioned was you know people thought I wrote too much about my pussy… or that I’m too vulgar or I swear too much. Whatever.” Through out the interview there was “fuck,” “shit,” more “pussy” and “damn” and I cringed each time as I looked around the room at my five attendees— between the ages of 17 and 60— hoping not to see them offended by the humorously crass interview. I don’t swear myself— or at least, it is not a big part of my vocabulary. It has never been part of my vocabulary and I’m not saying it out of some need to sound high and mighty. My parents never swore around us kids. My grandfather was famous for using alternatives like “Great Googa Mooga!” and “Cheese And Crackers!” (instead of “Jesus Christ” or “jeez”). My mother used “Fudge” as a substitute for Fuck. The real words just never sounded right coming out of my mouth (and I tried…. I sound like a dork, especially when I ended up stuttering! We can’t all be Samuel L. Jackson). Reading such words in books always filled me with giddiness as I hunkered down over the book like a coveted secret, snickering as I read the “real” word. To this day, I can't help myself from displaying titles like Nightbitch and Boyslut front and center while I picture myself becoming the purple devil emoji. …And so, I checked out Crying in the Bathroom, sold on Sanchez’ easy way of speaking and unwillingness to sugarcoat her words. “I write the way I speak,” Sanchez said. This has got me thinking: why do we have a fascination with swear words? How is it that I still get a reaction from reading curse words— It's everywhere. The first time I’d heard a swear word (that I remember) was in the first grade. We were walking single file across our school campus when a boy in front of me said “bitch.” The other kids giggled mixed with a few “awwws.” Me, being the intellectual know-it-all-wanna-be at a very young age said “Do you even know what ‘bitch’ means?’ (I didn't). My teacher had overheard me, and I was the one who got in trouble for saying the word… and then again for arguing that I wasn't the one who said it first. My first lesson in swearing came from a high school English class that follows more or less from Writers Digest:
The Writer’s Digest article then goes on to say: we use these words because we are human. We get angry. “Well-written raw talk can make your characters seem lifelike and more authentic.” This is why, while the words are not in my spoken vocabulary, I have no problem reading them or writing them in my pieces. My fictional characters have their own way of speaking just like I do. You’ll find Aminat in The Red Lord particularly obscene, while Genta in The Path of the Cave Stars can be prone to profanity and swearing using his deity's name in not the best of light. I do these things for a reason. Genta, for example, has lost all faith in the gods and goddesses and doesn't care one way or another how he speaks about them. On the how to use vein, “Spicy language generally works best when it’s used sparingly, or at least in moderation" (WD). Since we are in the Romance (of various spice levels) Era, I feel its safe to update the WD’s list:
In this context, I cringe. I like Romance/Erotica as much as the trend dictates, but, while reading the “bad words” thrilled/s me, reading the “spicy” words makes me feel dirty. Like a voyeur peeping into the explicit thoughts of lovers. I am not a prude (that's it… there is no following “but”). Reading smut doesn’t offend me or make me clutch my pearls. The Red Lord is my first venture into the spicier side of writing. Aminat and Thane go pretty hot and heavy on multiple occasions… in multiple locations. On the scale, it would be a Level 3. What keeps it from being a Full-Frontal-4 would be my lack of graphic talk. In the context of Spice, I just can’t make the words sound sexy… because it doesn't sound sexy to me (sorry!). What are your thoughts on foul language? --------------------------------------------- Bonus Article: I Can’t Believe Readers Are Still Getting Upset Over F*cking Swearing by Amy Poeppel (Musical Chairs)
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