Responding to our current state of linguistic crisis, Amanda Montell has set out to tackle why words matter and why it's imperative that women embrace their unique relationship with language. Filled with fascinating research from sociolinguistics but steeped in pop culture, this book shows that women and minorities are uniquely equipped to dominate and conquer the English language. Far from being easily crushed by mansplainers and misogynists, women and marginalized people have a superior capacity to adapt more quickly to linguistic change and tend to be at the forefront of linguistic trends. You'll learn the origin of words like 'like' (it actually has six functions and, yes, every one of them is worth using), through to gay voice and why it exists. Throughout it all, WORDY offers up, in a non-judgmental way, how readers can embrace our so-called flaws and verbally smash the patriarchy.
Amanda Montell is a 25-year-old linguistics scholar from Baltimore, Maryland. She is the features editor at the online beauty and health magazine Byrdie and has also written for Marie Claire, Woman's Day, The Rumpus, and Time Out Magazine. She's worked for Jill Soloway as a speechwriter and launched the web series "The Dirty Word," on Soloway's site, WifeyTV. The show has been featured online in Glamour, Bustle, HelloGiggles, Bust Magazine, Thought Catalog, and more. Amanda graduated magna cum laude with a degree in linguistics from NYU and currently lives in Los Angeles.
