Fugitive

I'm pleased to announce that the Word Fugitives column in the October issue of The Atlantic ran my query, which I've reproduced in the photo above. In case you're not familiar with the column, readers send in queries for new words to be created which describe highly esoteric situations, like mine about that one guy who's resented by every other guy he knows. If you'd like to send in your creation, you can do so via the website (subscription only) or by mail to:

Word Fugitives
The Atlantic Monthly
PO Box 67375
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467

The prize for having my query selected was three books by Atlantic writers, two of which I'll never read (a doorstop-sized history on the Iran hostage crisis, and the latest masterpiece from the deplorable Caitlin Flanagan) but one I'll definitely enjoy: the Word Fugitives compilation, by Barbara Wallraff. I was already pleased to receive this book, even before discovering that it included my earlier submission in response to the query "How about a word for that dicey moment when you should introduce two people but can't remember one of their names?. My attempt, nomstruck, was a runner-up to the winner, introducking.

I may never get paid for my short stories, but at least I'm leaving my mark via dubious contributions to the English language.