Here’s a warning: in my books, podcast, newsletters, or posts, I don’t use profanity. But today I’m going to talk about a quotation that includes a curse word, so if you don’t like hearing that kind of language, skip this episode!

It’s something I’ve remembered for many years, since I read Chuck Palahniuk’s essay “The Lip Enhancer,” which is included in his collection Stranger Than Fiction. 

Palahniuk is best known for writing the novel Fight Club, which was turned into an enormously successful movie starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham Carter.

Years ago, I saw the movie, and I loved it so much that the very next day, I ran out to buy the novel, and I whipped through it in a single day. 

It’s not a story that everyone will enjoy, that’s for sure. But I love it.

IMDB describes it like this: “An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.” If you’ve read or seen Fight Club, you realize that that description really does not capture the atmosphere of the story. “The first rule of Fight Club is that you do not talk about Fight Club.” That’s also the second rule of Fight Club.

Here’s the line from the essay that has stuck in my mind for so long. Recalling the first time he met Brad Pitt, Palahniuk writes, “[He]e ran up with his shirt open, tanned and smiling, and said, ‘Thank you for the best fucking part of my whole fucking career!’”

When I was trying to figure out why I’ve never forgotten that line, and why I love it so much, I realized that it’s because I get such pleasure of thinking about iconic super-star Brad Pitt paying tribute to this author, and realizing what a gift he’d been given for his work.

Not everyone would want to play Tyler Durden, but it is an extraordinary role. And Brad Pitt, as big a star as he is, knew it, and said thank you.