I went my favorite alt-art space last night to enjoy readings from Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex. Now, don’t let the title of book confuse you. It isn’t one of those dictionary-like compilations of obscure sexual euphemisms. Nor it is a laundry list of off-beat sexual practices meant for illicit edification.

Nope. It ain’t none of that. Rather, Dirty Words is a wonderfully engaging collection of stories, essays, creative nonfiction, and poetry, each a reflection of a single dirty word, arranged alphabetically to give the appearance of encyclopedic enlightenment. Enlightenment, you might not find, but entertainment? Absolutely. And you’ll likely marvel at the humble but courageous honesty of its many contributors as they bare their souls in the course of telling tales of a far more carnal kind.

I had the good fortune to hear editor Ellen Sussman read two of her pieces, the introduction (in which her brother is told of the fact of life and how his receipt of such prime knowledge ahead of her became a long-lingering spark for Dirty Words) and, later, Commitment, in which she cautions women everywhere not to date her brother, now thinly-veiled as a “best friend, Max.” Dan Pope — a fellow bibliophile! — had us close to falling out of our seats with Coitus Interruptus (which one could subtitle Voyeur, Unwanted). Mary-Ann Tirone Smith gave us on-par entertainment with her hearty Hum Job of a tale while Rand Richards Cooper gave us equal part laughter and thoughtfulness on his discourse on the word, Fuck. (It’s no longer as dirty as you might think.) Last, Ravi Shankar (of poetry, not sitar fame) read a swift ode to the Quickie. Oddly enough, his poetry made me think of my late mother whose extensive poetry collection I inherited six years ago — who told me
some thirty-six years ago that, when it came to boys and desire, “Whatever you do, don’t.”

Like that advice lasted.

I walked away from the event, signed book in hand, a most gleeful soul. With my muse jabbing me in the back. Those rude pokes of inspiration mean you’ll see a dirty word of my own explained soon here at Pursed Lips.

Ellen Sussman and Dirty Words has an extensive book tour underway. If she and her rotating roster of contributions are coming to your neck of the words, attend. You’ll find yourself laughing, thinking, and enjoying.

Isn’t that what pleasure’s all about?