Oh, man... That's just Beautiful

[rolanni]

The Iowa Supreme Court has struck down a state law banning same-sex marriages. (Thanks to kinzel for the heads-up.)

Not only is this move by the state supreme court a good thing for the obvious reasons, but I'm particularly and personally delighted to see this happen in Iowa.

See, an editor once threatened us with Iowa. In particular with Iowan housewives, who, she said, would unilaterally spurn our book, thus causing it to tank and (implied) End Our Career As Writers. Previous to this discussion with our editor, I must admit that I had had no idea that Iowan housewives had this power over paperback original SF, but I digress.

The reason Iowan housewives would spurn our book? Within the course of the story, two women kiss, tenderly, and with romantic intent. Granted, this was in 1988, so it's taken Iowa some time to catch us up, but I'm more than glad they finally made it to the party.

*Laughs and does three steps of the Snoopy Happy Dance*

Comments

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

So did the editor make you take that relationship out of the book or is the book in existence somewhere the way you all intended?

I must admit that I did my own little happy dance (after I picked my chin up off the floor) after reading the news.

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

The initial fuss-up was resolved when I did some creative editing, adjusting a single line. The editor who was concerned about this apparently had failed to note that the pair of characters involved are next discovered waking up in bed together ....

And, Stephe Pagel, besides putting Sharon's name first on the books, as had been intended originally, also agreed to our somewhat long-delayed "stet" ... putting that sentence back in the Partners In Necessity edition and those that followed.

[jelazakazone.livejournal.com]

Ah. I don't believe I've actually read that edition, although we have it. I like the little mass market paperback editions that we have (which are the original Ace(?) books). I'll have to read that next (right after the ten books I have out from the library). Thanks for the info:)

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Oh, so this is in the Ace original? That's the only version I have.

Yes, I was boggling a bit about objecting to a kiss when what followed was rather more, er, /more/...

[kinzel.livejournal.com]

Your book should be complete

[terrio]

Oh, interesting! Are there any other differences between the Del Rey originals of Conflict of Honors, Agent of Change, and Carpe Diem and subsequent editions? The Del Rey versions are the only ones I have, but if there are more differences, I'll want to see if I can snag the Ace versions or the Meisha Merlin omnibus at some point....

[baggette.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity....

I wonder how many books you have sold/sent to Iowa.

Happy Dancing Milk Carton for Iowa's intro into the modern world!!

[samcallahan.livejournal.com]

Somewhat ahead of forty-some other states in the union...

As a sometime housewife in Iowa...

[jane-barfly.livejournal.com]

I was, in fact, a housewife in Iowa when Conflict of Honors came out.

I liked it. Sorry I didn't go up in arms and get lots of people to buy it.

Laura