Profanity

Langston Hughes, born in 1902, was a writer who specialized in poetry and plays. He also wrote many short stories. One of his famous short stories is “Cora Unashamed.” This short story, set in a predominantly white town in the early 20th century, is regarding the life of a simple African American woman named Cora Jenkins. The story centers around the hardships and mistreatment she dealt with in her life while working as a maid for a white family named the Studevants. Hughes’s main purpose of…

Why the #*&! do we swear? We all let a bad word slip out of our mouths occasionally, or perhaps you express your expletives loud and proud and frequently. But what makes a swear word a swear word? Does swearing serve any biological or psychological purpose or is it simply a cultural taboo? One must understand the presence of swearing in our society. The ten most popular swear words in the English language make up approximately 0.7% of the words said in public. Just to put that number into…

My Hood Rotting old palm trees, half mowed lawns, midnight parties and neighbourly brawls. From the suspicious late night whispers to the consistent ringing of sirens- it’s not a surprise the familiar blue and red lights repeatedly illuminate our street at early hours of the morning. But behind all that jazz, lies the protection and care for the familiar faces within and outside their broken down gates. To all outsiders, welcome to Courtenay Crescent- the only place I consider ‘my hood’.…

Once he got home, he went straight to his room. He didn't bother with talking to his family because they didn't have the answers he needed. Gerard cleared a spot off his desk and pulled the dirty Ouija board from his bag, setting it down. He took it out of the box, and the room was suddenly freezing. It was like Gerard had stepped outside into a snow storm without clothes on. He shivered, but he was determined. "I'd like to speak with Frank," Gerard spoke. He sat there in absolute silence,…

Dad instructed Ronald and Willy to carry the boxes containing tins of Bisto into the living room next to the Bully Beef and pile of seventy eights. “Wot’s the matta son, you look flustered,” said dad. Tears welled up as I blurted, stuttered and hyperventilated my tales of horror at the hands of my sadistic teacher showing him the small cut on the back of my head. Dad said nothing as he swigged his beer. Not even a response as he turned and walked into the house. More tears welled up as I thought…

The Choice I Made; Drugs and Children Sure there’s weed that just about everyone tries at one point or another in their lives, but in this city, at my school, just about everyone was a heavy smoker, both cigs and weed, and we were all only fifteen to eighteen years of age, this is not okay. You should know, I’m from the city of Chattanooga, yes the one with the fastest Internet in the world, a city that also has a very high violent crime rate and drug use per citizen. You can find almost…

or the last thirty minutes, I’ve been invariably groaning and rubbing my temples being continually urged to “chill” by the boy next to me. I wasn’t sure if he was serious or not. Although, I still can’t believe that I’d be with this annoying dipshit for three more hours. “So, was that a yes or a no? Seriously, I don’t understand you,” He states for the thirteenth time just as he scans my face for an answer. However, I stay silent for an instant. “Alright! I’ll take that as a yes.” “Dude. You…

I attend school online. I don’t interact with other students as much as one would in a physical school, yet the utilized a discussion board in order to encourage “intelligent” conversation on a given topic. There were students who clearly had no understanding of how to interact cordially over the internet. There were morons who disliked the given prompt and talked about whatever they wanted. I used the board as a vehicle to share unpopular opinions on irrelevant topics with people who took no…

Quiet was a luxury in the Edwards’ family home. The air was normally filled with the raucous vulgarity of Lyle’s bi-weekly poker games or the non-stop chorus of “amen” from Sadie’s Bible study. Except this particular cool Sunday evening. James had the house to himself and he was spending it the only way any introverted teenage boy would, reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. He was still in early in the novel but was engrossed in it. James had just reached the scene where Ender was…

Thoughts about the Prom. Thoughts about school. Thoughts about the future. Thoughts about Sylvester and his unrelenting crush on Theodore. Too many thoughts that clung to his mind, and all Lewis wanted to do was rip his hair out. "You with me, Lewis?" Lewis tried out a few blinks before realizing Sylvester was staring at him with concern. With his eyes closed and a lazy smile on his face, Lewis gave a soft hum and nod. Double reassurance never failed. Whether Sylvester believed him or not, Lewis…