Overview

English is scattered with perfectly innocuous words that have devolved into insults hurled at women. The word 'bitch' originally meant male or female genitalia. 'Hussy' was simply a housewife, and a 'slut' was an untidy man or woman. Amanda Montell, feminist linguist and features editor at online magazine Byrdie, explains why words matter and why it's imperative that women embrace their unique relationship with language. Drawing on fascinating research, and moving effortlessly between history and pop culture, Montell deconstructs language - from insults and cursing to grammar and pronunciation - to reveal the ways it has been used for centuries to gaslight women and keep them from gaining equality. Montell's irresistible intelligence and humour shines through as she makes linguistics not only approachable but downright enthralling. Far from being crushed by mansplainers and misogynists, women have a superior capacity to adapt to linguistic change, and tend to be at the forefront of linguistic trends. Wordslut gets to the heart of our language, sheds light into the biases that shadow women in our culture and shows how to embrace language to verbally smash the patriarchy.

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'Amanda Montell's brilliance is rising up and about to explode worldwide.' -- Jill Soloway

Author Information

Amanda Montell is a writer and language scholar from Baltimore. She is the author of two books - Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, about the language of 'cults' from Scientology to SoulCycle and the critically acclaimed Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language. Wordslut has earned praise from the New York Times, Time Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews and Publisher's Weekly, among others, and Amanda is currently developing the book for television with FX Studios, serving as creator, writer and executive producer. As a reporter and essayist, Amanda's writing has been featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Nylon, The Rumpus, Byrdie and Who What Wear, where she formerly served as the Features & Beauty Editor. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants and pets. Laurence Bouvard has vast experience within the voiceover industry - from animated feature films and cartoons to audiobooks, radio plays, TV documentaries, major ad campaigns, websites, voicing young boys, teenage girls, yummy mummies and old ladies ... you name it, this girl has voiced it. Although American is her native accent, she has studied 17 other languages, giving her an expertise in accents. Audiobooks recorded for Bolinda audio include Good Bones, Simple Murders and The Tent by Margaret Atwood, Wordslut by Amanda Montell and Daughters of War by Lizzie Page.

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