WE ASKED EIGHT Oklahoma artists to name a favorite word, and to say why.
DUST — Matt Goad. “I’ve been watching His Dark Materials, and in the story the word dust is a representation of dark matter, something scientists know very little about yet it makes up about 27 percent of the universe. The idea of not knowing is fascinating. Knowing I don’t know, in a way, is very liberating.”
ACCLIMATE — Denise Duong. “When traveling, you become accustomed to new surroundings and the life that buzzes around you. Becoming a mother, you are constantly learning something new, but it takes some time to get used to this huge new part of your life. Of course with the pandemic, it’s either be able to acclimate or lose your mind.”
POUTINE — Cassie Stover. “I can’t say it without smiling, and I don’t even like gravy.”
YOUTHINESS — Sarah Sullivan. “I read it in an interview with the former manager of the Ramones, who described the band that way. Ever since then, it’s become an internal philosophy for what I shoot for in my work: goofy, made-up, and with some magic to it.”
SUSURRUS — Sarah Atlee. “I see it as a kind of shibboleth.”
FORTUITOUS — Molly Murphy Adams. “Fortuitous for me describes pleasant coincidences, unplanned connections, and reminds me to look for the good fortune when I am least expecting it.”
CATHARSIS — Lawrence Naff. “I like using this word because it is flexible and emotionally specific. Schadenfreude can be cathartic but so can supporting others. It feels good, but catharsis itself isn’t good or bad. It just is.”
CHUMP — Dusty Gilpin. “Once you realize that you are a chump, your eyes will be opened to realizing that, deep down, we are all chumps. Not one chump is more important than the other. To me, it’s a term of endearment.”
The 2021 banished words and phrases, from the keeper of such things (Lake Superior State University), are COVID-19 (COVID, coronavirus, Rona); social distancing; We’re all in this together; In an abundance of caution (various phrasings); In these uncertain times (various phrasings); pivot; unprecedented; Karen; sus; I know, right?
