2001-01-22

On Saturday night B and I went to a party. I ran into an acquaintance, a girl I haven't seen or spoken with since the summer. She was at the party with a guy that B knows. The guy got up off the couch so that I could sit and talk with the girl. She told me the two of them have been going out since October. "And we're really in love!" she said. I thought that was very cute.

The title of my novel has been problematic. I had one title all along which I liked very much, then last spring another novel was published with the same title. When the book went out last summer, we used a similar title, substituting a synonym for one of the words. I didn't love it but could not come up with anything better.

As I've revised the book, neither of these titles seems to fit especially well. On Saturday a completely new title came to me. I liked it, I thought it fit, but it's really hard to know with these things. The girl I saw at the party had read a draft of the novel last spring; on Saturday I told her my idea for a title and she liked it. Then yesterday I told another friend, the one who is my primary confidant and counsel in all things book-related. (In all things, period.) She thought I was on the right track but that the title as I presented it didn't work.

I think I'm going to tell you the title and ask your opinion. If I weren't lazy, I'd make a form so you could do so anonymously. As it is, you'll have to send me email. You owe me nothing, needless to say, especially considering how silent I've been. But if you'd be willing to be part of a little focus group for me, I'd be very grateful. And do be honest.

The title:

Girls Who Pine

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