Calling the Fire by Name: ‘Faggot’ in History, Power, and Reclamation is a critical exploration of the evolving meaning, power, and reclamation of one of the most incendiary slurs in the English language. Through historical analysis, sociolinguistic theory, and cultural critique, Dick Gariepy traces the word’s transformation from a literal bundle of sticks to a weaponized term used to enforce social norms, particularly against effeminate men and queer individuals. Drawing on the works of Wittgenstein, Derrida, Butler, and Foucault, this study interrogates how language functions as a tool of discipline, exclusion, and, ultimately, resistance. The book delves into the ways "faggot" expanded beyond homophobic insult to a broader mechanism of social policing—used to mark any deviation from hegemonic masculinity and accepted behavior. It examines failed and partial attempts at reclamation, comparing the word’s trajectory to other reclaimed slurs like "queer" and "dyke," while questioning whether true reclamation is possible. More than just a linguistic history, Calling the Fire by Name is a study of power—who wields it, how it is reinforced through language, and how marginalized groups subvert it. At its heart, this work challenges readers to reconsider the fluidity of meaning and the radical potential of naming, resisting, and redefining the words that have been used to harm.