Word: alphabetics
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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Mystery writer Sue Grafton has one of the most recognizable trademarks in fiction: the books in her series, from A Is for Alibi in 1982 to her new book, U Is for Undertow, are all named after a letter of the alphabet. That formula regularly takes Grafton's books to No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list, and Undertow is no exception. TIME senior reporter Andrea Sachs talked with the prolific author about the ABCs of writing crime novels during her recent visit to New York City...
...What's the origin of the alphabet tradition? In the back of my mind, when I thought I would write a mystery novel, I understood the virtue of having titles that readers-at-large could recognize so that they'd know you had a next book out. I was reading an Edward Gorey cartoon book called The Gashlycrumb Tinies, and his book is a series of pen-and-ink drawings of Victorian children being done in various ways. If you have not read it, it is truly amusing. His book goes, "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs...
...nearing the end of the alphabet. What is going to happen? Well, given that I have been doing two years between books, which is making my life bearable, that means I've got five books to go, which is 10 years. I just don't know if any of us know what we are going to be doing in 10 years. Maybe I'll get a nursing degree. Maybe I'll become a professional ballerina. I don't know. [Laughs.] And I don't know what's going to happen to Kinsey Milhone because it's none of my business...
...Take, for instance, the Xanga page I curated until well after I was legally an adult. Then, there’s the first six seasons of “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Also my wardrobe, generally. And learning, and then regularly using, the NATO phonetic alphabet. Even my firm belief that, even though I didn’t live in a glamorous alternate universe or have creepily perfect teeth like Kristen Bell, I am, in fact, just like Veronica Mars...
...sang her song; she was just so overwhelmed by being there. Danny DeVito stood up on the steps so everybody could see him personally thank everybody for all the years that he loved watching the show. I mean, to watch Ray Charles come in and sing the alphabet; to watch Tony Bennett singing "Slimey to the Moon"; to sit there with Robert De Niro and have him teach Elmo how to act - where else in this world, on television, could you get that? (See pictures of Sesame Street's 40-year cavalcade of stars...