To "F" or not to "F"

For those of you who don’t yet know, our own Elaine Viets’s MURDER WITH RESERVATIONS has been nominated for the prestigious Lefty Award for Best Humorous Novel! It’s not too late to sign up for Left Coast Crime in Denver, March 6-9, if for no other reason than that you can vote for Elaine. And swill champagne with her when she wins. [Elaine, you ARE going, right?]

For more info, go to: http://www.leftcoastcrime.org/2008/awards.htm

And now for a vote of a different sort. Next Saturday we’re posting a guest blog from the fabulous Laurie R. King. We haven’t actually seen it yet, but considering the source, it’s going to be great.

Laurie has offered us the original version and the censored one, with the “F” word expunged. What is your preference? No hanging chads, no photo i.d.’s, just a simple “F” or “no F” will do.(Or a complicated and longwinded explanation as to why or why not. You know us.)

The polls are now open.

Comments

[Pam aka SisterZip]

f

[Tasha Alexander]

F!

[Tom]

WOCHFT f

[Hannah]

F!

[Josh]

I'm for the "f." This is a grown-up community.

[Kathy Reschini Sweeney]

Fuck yes.

[William Simon]

Fuckin' A

[Jaq]

Eff it!

[Nancy Martin]

WTF? We need to ask permission??

[Nancy Martin]

PS. GREAT NEWS, ELAINE!!

[Laura (in PA)]

F that!

[Judy Larsen]

Um, given that my own blog is called "Not Afraid of the F Word" I'd have to vote for the F.

[ramona]

F

(Hijack: Is everyone here aware that tonight begins Masterpiece Theater's tribute series to Jane Austen? And if you go to their website, there is a page called The Men of Austen, with many pretty pictures.)

That's all. You may return to f'ing.

[Harley]

Goodness gracious! Are there no "no f's, please" out there? What about those church ladies in Alabama that I met last year grilling me on my use of the "F" word before agreeing to buy my novels?

HAVE WE SILENCED YOU?!

[Rita Scott]

fuck yes! F

[jodil]

Please, Harley, the church ladies are in....church today. Let there be F's.

[Harley]

Good point, jodil

[Lynn in Texas]

Absofuckinglutely!

[Annette]

OK, I volunteer to be the spoiler. I don't like the F word . So on Saturday I will stay away from the blog. This is my choice. The rest of you can visit and comment all day long and I will visit the blog the next day.
BTW, I don't live in Alabama and I did go to church today.

[Elaine Viets]

F!
As someone who loved Country Joe and the Fish and recited the Fish Cheer -- Give me an F!

[Elaine Viets]

Will I be at Left Coast Crime? You bet. I'm toastmaster. Some people called me the Toastmistress, but I think that title requires a whip and leather boots.
I am practicing my "it's an honor just to be nominated" speech.

[Me, Margie]

Are you fucking kidding me with this?

We need *more* fucks, not less.

You know, that is a good rule, all the way around. Just saying.

No offense, Annette. To paraphrase, you can: hate the word, love the act.

[Me, Margie]

P.S. Elaine - if you need any help with that stuff, you know..

[Harley]

Annette, you are a brave woman and we salute you for standing up for the Non-F-ers. My mother up in heaven is nodding and smiling.

[Mary Storyteller]

considering yesterday's blog, what's a little F between friends?

[Harley]

Oh, man -- I mean, woman. How could I forget that you are toastmistress? I can't believe I'm missing this one, because I've heard your acceptance speeches, Elaine (I've never seen you lose) and they are stellar. For you to be in charge of the speechifying for a whole banquet boggles the imagination.

[Rita Scott]

Elaine, nominated for most humorous, you should definitely wear black leather and carry a whip while mistressing LCC! Just don't forget your pants this time.

[Mary Storyteller]

In Annette's defense, there is a tendency to use "those" words in place of thinking of more specific ones. I used to offer my students the chance to "rephrase" instead of a detention for language.
In a similar way, when we read Twain works out loud, that "n" word would be there on the page (I wouldn't want to see anyone re-write Twain), but we wouldn't necessarily want to say it out loud, so my students would use other words: man, woman, boy. It was just not a word we wanted to hear.
My aunt used to say "fudge" and "sugar" when angry, because she would prefer sweet words in her mouth. When one of us would say "shit" my mom would say, "You just had something in your mouth I wouldn't have in my hand." Gross and we wouldn't say it in front of her. So perhaps, when there is an offensive word, one could mentally translate?
My own preference is writing that does not provide graphic sex or violence scenes, but I know they up sales of some books. I can speed past what I don't like. When the FHN book club read _Devil in the White City_ I skimmed past all the graphic violence, and my friend skimmed past all the "boring" architecture stuff. To quote Twain, "It's difference of opinion that makes a horse race."

[LaideeM]

F. me! Laurie R. King uses her oaths and expletives very sparingly in her writing, so when she wants to use one, it's for a good reason!

[J.D. Rhoades]

Bring the fizzle, my nizzle.

[Pam aka SisterZip]

Margie, that could be another bumper sticker!

[Vicki]

"What about those church ladies in Alabama that I met last year grilling me on my use of the "F" word before agreeing to buy my novels?"

I'm a church lady (or a Sunday School teacher, at least) from Alabama, and I say F, F, and away! But then, there are church ladies and there are church ladies.

[Nancy Martin]

Y'know, I'm no prude (contrary to what Margie thinks) but I gotta go with Mary's statement that many authors and comedians and screenwriters and others use cussing because they're unable to summon more precise language. That said, I can't imagine Laurie King using "fuck" except for a good reason. So I trust her judgment and sensibility concering next week's blog.

[Harley]

Nancy, anyone who has intimate knowledge of wet kilts (not to spoil an upcoming blog) is certainly no prude.

[michele]

I'm with Mary. Let's think up more specific words for F. Margie?

[J.D. Rhoades]

Fornicate?

[Me, Margie]

Please. You want 'em alphabetically?

Amore vivant
Boink
Copulate....

How about by era?

Hump
Shag
Bounce...

Seriously people. I don't have time to do every thing up in this bitch. Gotta get up for The Wire, yo.

[Harley]

Please tell me there's not going to be a shoot-out between THE WIRE and Masterpiece Theatre's Jane Austen-fest tonight. This could get ugly.

[William Simon]

Given a choice, Harley, go with Jane Austen.

The idea of Margie watching THE WIRE and then talking "street" is kind of funny. Thank heavens she's y'all's problem...:)

[Tom]

And if that's not enough, Summer Glau debuts tonight as Cameron The Terminator in the ultimate Mother Lion story, THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES.

Choices, choices, choices . . .

[J.D. Rhoades]

William, my family has gotten used to me talking like a Baltimore corner boy for at least 24 hours after watching THE WIRE, ya feel me?

Tom: What did you think?

[SusanCo]

Sorry I dont like the word. I vote NO

[Denisen]

Definitely, would prefer the un-edited version. Geez, if the worst thing I heard or read on a day to day basis were just the word "fuck," I think my version of the world would be vastly improved ...

[Maryann Mercer]

I'd vote but it's late and I believe the "F"'s have it, so I'll just say congratulations Elaine :o)

[Maryann Mercer]

PS..Saw Sarah Connor Chronicles...let's just hope FOX doesn't play "find the episode" with this one. Not bad at all :o)

[Tom]

j.D. - I have hope. Nutter has done good work in the past. You may have noticed he wrote the episode, as well as directing it. This was a good start. Thought the evenness of tone was much to everyone's credit. Also thought Nutter did a good job with the use of flashback and visual narrative.

Sidenote - Nutter was the director of my favorite X-Files episode, 'Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose,' with Peter Boyle.

[Kathy Reschini Sweeney]

JD - True dat.

At the very least, it cracks my kids up. Then they say: "Mom, seriously, don't try to do that again."

No respect from these yungins. Lucky they ain't hoppers.

[Kerry, The Martial Tart]

F. Laurie writes awesome blogs and I trust her implicitly. Also, if you haven't picked up (and devoured) her new standalone, "Touchstone", you have no idea what you're missing!

[Vicki Lane]

LRK needs no permission from anyone to use any words whatsoever. Her artistic license has been well earned. Besides, folks, it's just a word. And yes, TOUCHSTONE is terrific!

[Harley]

I couldn't begin to talk like I walked off the set of THE WIRE. My children won't even let me sing along with the radio and lately have taken to saying, "No humming, Mommy."

The probably would vote "F", however.

[Tom]

Try something operatic, Harley. That'll leave 'em hang-jawed. 'Una Voce Poco Fa.' 'Vissi d'Arte.' Let 'em hear something not made and played and LA'd.

[Tom]

Come to think of it, all Tarts should know Maurice Ravel's 'Sheherezade' by heart. The eponymous princess could be the secular patron saint of thriller writers.

[Meredith T]

Aw, shucks. I used to do theater. I'd vote for the "f." and indeed Laurie tends to use such things sparingly & must have good reason. And Touchstone is fabulous. BTW folks, those Austen versions are ALL 90 minutes long. Enough to make one wince.--Meredith T

[Harley]

Tom, I do a really hot Nessun Dorma and the kids don't want any part of it.

[Tom]

Possibly they don't want their mama doing trouser roles. Don't know that a woman has ever sung Calaf in the 'real' world.

How ever did you get a troop with such ferocious opinions about every musical thing? Pretty rough pack of critics!

[Roxanne]

I don't get the need for a vote on this topic. But then, I've never been on this site before, so don't know its history and politics, etc.

I am a librarian and I am against censorship. If I don't (personally) care for something, I simply choose not to watch/view it. I feel, however, that I do not have the right to make that choice for others.

Enough sermonizing. Bring on Laurie R. King in all her glory!

[Wanda K]

F

[Triss Stein]

I am looking forward to guest blogging tomorrow and this is a test to make sure all is in working order.

Triss Stein