This is (slightly) tangential, but I've been noticing that a lot of the articles about this refer to her as "Nigella no-last-name" and him as "Charles Saatchi." Erin doesn't actually do this (props for this), but the author of the article she's commenting on does. Why does being a woman make many journalists think…

My mom is an English teacher at my high school, and while I never had her (because my Dad would have thrown a fit and neither she nor I thought it would be a good idea), she was the only one teaching the senior level of my brother's English curriculum, so he had her this year, without any trouble. I think she passed…

Can I confess? My boyfriend wears it (one of the less pungent types, and only as shampoo) and I like the smell. I can't be the only one. The stuff does sell.

me too....

As a writer who intends to be published, but also loves her privacy, I am planning on taking advantage of the profusion of names available to me. My published name/ public person will be my full name and my maiden name (thus preventing any name confusion should I publish/get into the industry before being married) and…

Definitely the Latin Quarter! While I didn't live there, I spent most of my time there, because it was all student priced, central, and felt safe compared to other parts of the city.

I just want to reassure you that it gets better once you're in college. I was an IB student in high school, so I know where you're coming from, although your school sounds tougher than mine was. Once you get to college (which you will, I assume, what with the AP courses), the work is about as hard as high school,…

I'm not sure if I have synesthesia or not. Every word I hear I can see (sort of, like half-invisible subtitles) and can spell if I've seen it once. I read a lot, and I figured out it might have to do with cutting out the subtitles. It's really relaxing. Also, movies with subtitles drive me insane. Is this a type of…

I don't think so. There is a drawing of a bathroom sign woman with the message "Why do they think we all wear capes?" (paraphrased) in that stall right now, I think.

oh, probably. It just reminded me of that building is all.

May I pry? EPB at the University of Iowa, by chance?

While I love physical books just as much as the next English major, and will never give them up, when I got a Kindle for Christmas against my will I fell in love with it. I go to school about 2,000 miles from home, so I have to fly. Physical books take up a ton of suitcase space, and so I've been buying my textbooks…

I personally am terrible at taking criticism from my mother, let alone my boyfriend. For me, at least, when a (very close) friend critiques my work, it feels like he's critiquing my work. When my boyfriend critiques my work, I usually end up taking it as a critique of me as a person, even though that's not how it was…

Or, writers can date writers (etc) but agree to show each other their work only for "great job, I'm proud of you" moments, not critique. Which is the system I currently use. We tried that critiquing stuff, and it just hurt each of our feelings.

In response to the first part of this post:

thanks, that's I think where I was headed with that eventually. :)

Question/Opinion: As a future (as yet unpublished) writer, I want to use my maiden name as my 'pen name.' But I also want to change my name to my future husband's for daily things and official documents. My question then, is what to do about my professional life? Since I want to work in publishing, do I keep my maiden…