« Letters to Lynn, part 3 | Main | Letters to Lynn, part 5 »

From Wesley in Minneapolis:

I have a couple of observations...
First; I have noticed a slight change in the way Elly is depicted. A few years back, whenever she asked somebody a question, she had outstretched hands (palms up), and a dropped jaw. In recent years, she does not do that any more. Is this intentional on the artist's part?
Also; I wonder why it is when a character, not just Michael, is shown to be a writer; they are invariably catagorized as a "novelist." There are many people who are writers who deal in short stories, as well as articles, book reviews, academic and scholarly non-fiction. Why is this?

Lynn's response:
My drawing style has changed dramatically since I started the strip, and so have I. Perhaps I too use different hand gestures when I speak. I'll have to ask someone who might have noticed. Michael was called a writer (he worked for Portrait magazine and freelance as a writer and editor) and now that he's produced a book and is published as an author, he's a novelist. If he hadn't written a novel - a textbook perhaps - he might still be called a writer. Perhaps this query could be put to a writer's guild or your local librarian!
Thanks for asking,