Book Board Chat

Good afternoon, everyone!

Must weigh in on the grammar discussion. Copy editors on 2 of my books wanted to change my text so it read "if it was." I refused. "If" takes the subjunctive. Plus, I'm old fashioned enough to want "an hotel" and "an unique." Have "gone to bat" with editors on those more times than I'd like to acknowledge. Still have problems with the double "s," for example, Meyers's. When to use double "s" and when not.

For a while, people were trying out "s/he" for "she/he." It didn't catch on. I think all this was a by-product of feminist critiques of the "maleness" of spoken and written language. Hence, we now have "chairperson," or "chair," rather than "chairman," along with other politically-correct words and phrases. Making myself aware of what can be misconstrued as "sexist" sometimes means I write convoluted sentences, or give it up, and write what I want, leaving the disentanglement to a copy editor.

casinokat, have you checked your blood pressure lately? Sometimes high bp gives you headaches.

I have nothing else to add, except I hope those on the East Coast are drying out. We're due for 2 days of blistering temps and rain.