Love Is a Four-Letter Word: True Stories of Breakups, Bad Relationships, and Broken Hearts Book

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction Neal Pollack xv

Homecoming, with Turtle Junot Díaz 1

The Last Man on Earth Wendy McClure 8

Trans Jennifer Finney Boylan 24

Exactly like Liz Phair, Except Older. And with Hypochondria. Dan Kennedy 40

Shadow Dancing Kate Christensen 49

Runaway Train Saïd Sayrafiezadeh 62

Conversations You Have at Twenty Maud Newton 85

Twenty-five to One Odds John Kilmer-Purcell 106

The First Time Margaret Sartor 120

The Book of Love and Transformation Michael Taeckens 129

Texas Gary Shteyngart 145

Love and War Stories Michelle Green 149

Leave Me Something When You Leave Me Brock Clarke 161

The Story You Will Tell Jami Attenberg 169

Marking Territory George Singleton 180

The Rules of Repulsion D. E. Rasso 190

Head Lice and My Worst Boyfriend Lynda Barry 203

Why Won't You Just Love Me? Emily Flake 214

Dear Ugly, Dear Fatso Patty Van Norman 218

Just Like the Movies Pasha Malla 219

Scout's Honor Amanda Stern 237

This Guy Who Was My Boyfriend for Like Three Weeks Dave White 259

I Love You in Twelve Languages Wendy Brenner 271

About the Authors 291