Behavior: Insult Artistry

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A native of Bavaria, Aman worked as a chemical analyst in Montreal and Milwaukee, got a B.S. and a Ph.D. in medieval languages and literature and taught for six years at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. In 1972 the university denied him tenure. Aman did not leave graciously. On the way out the door, he rather unimaginatively called his department chairman "a boring ass." His next comment was a shade better. "When I see you," he sneered, "my feet fall asleep." Explains Aman: "At swearing I'm a professional, but sometimes my hypothalamus takes over and I get so angry I can't think."

Aman fought the tenure decision, but finally lost a court battle and most of his respect for academe. Says he: "Those brainless twerps. People are killed and injured every day because of insults, but they refuse to study them because the subject is disreputable."

Now on his own, Aman is "independent, free and penniless," eking out a living from Maledicta and lectures. But he foresees a rosy future. Insults, he insists, are a growth area because "the whole world is one offensive stimulus." One upcoming project: a how-to book on "name-calling made easy."