On 05/06/2015 09:18 AM, Barbara Schmidt wrote:
> Yes,  the family really wrote it both ways -- Susy/Susie. " Record of
> the Small Foolishnesses" spells it Susie.  At some point in time
> Olivia Susan Clemens (referred to by the family in early letters,
> notes, etc. as Susie) wanted to change the spelling to Susy.  That is
> how her manuscript of the biography of her father "Mark Twain" is
> presented. Throughout "Small Foolishnesses," it is rendered as Susie.

   Thanks for the clarification.  It might make a useful note in the
article.  Otherwise it just seems like an inconsistency or editing error
or referring to a different person altogether.  Perhaps a short quote
where the difference is explained in the book?

   It's especially confusing because the review bounces between both
spellings, and *not* solely in quoted sections; this is in the review
text itself.

   One more thing that jumped out at me was that the name "Sam" only
appeared once, unexplained.  I'm sure that all of us know who "Sam" is
in this context, but it's like reading an article about John Wayne which
suddenly mentions "Marion" once, with no further context, which might
confuse a general audience, if such is the target audience for this
review.  (The pen-name and real name seem to be inaccurately used, too.
 Would Livy say her husband's name is Mark Twain?  It would appear so
from the first paragraph.)

-- 
  Alan Eliasen
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