Sacred and Profane

by Duane Swierczynski

Ever since I took this job, readers (and contributors) have pulled me aside and in hushed tones asked, "What's the deal with all the profanity in your paper?"

[Expletive deleted] if I know.

Profanity is just one of the threads in the rich tapestry that is City Paper.

Actually, profanity is one of the threads in the rich tapestry of my life. In my high school, even the priests cursed. (I'm looking at you, Father Joe.)

But this week's photo essay (found here) about the Divine Lorraine and its former occupants, a religious sect that shuns booze, sex and swearing, has me thinking. Not to get all Carrie Bradshaw on your [expletive deleted], but: Do we cuss too much?

Here's my official position. Words are to writers what ingredients are to a chef: basic building blocks of the job. The craft is in how you select, blend and prepare the ingredients. Limit the ingredients, limit the dishes. Granted, not all people like all ingredients. And some ingredients — like foie gras — offend people.

Does this mean the paper should never serve the print version of foie gras?

See, I'm at odds here. I strive to be reader-centric. If enough readers want us to stop dropping f-bombs, I'm compelled to at least consider it. But I feel like it's against my religion to tell a writer he/she can't use a certain ingredient.

The easy answer? Balance. All ingredients have their time and place. Take exclamation points. I think these should be used sparingly, like crack-cocaine, maybe once, twice a year. No more.

But how do you balance [expletive deleted]s? Is there a limit per paper? If A.D. Amorosi uses two [expletive deleted]s in Icepack, do I send Lori Hill back to her office empty-handed?

Searching for answers, I e-mailed two writer friends of mine, both Brits. As we all know, the British are the foremost stylists of profanity; furthermore, they make it sound elegant. (Maybe it's because they say "arse" instead of [expletive deleted].)

"Essentially, the question of swearing in print is very simple," writes Allan Guthrie from Edinburgh. "If the [expletive deleted]s you're writing about swear, so should you." It's context; if the musicians and politicians and bartenders cuss, it only makes sense that we should, too. After all, we're telling stories set in their world. Adds Ray Banks, "Any art holds a mirror to the world, and if the light catches a few [expletives deleted]s, how is that a bad thing?"

Well, [expletive deleted] what me and my potty-mouthed friends have to say. I'm more interested in your ideas. Give a rat's [expletive deleted]? Write me at the address below.

Maybe together we can find a happy fucking medium.