Hi again! How are you? Wait… let me answer that: You’re feeling curious. About ME! Why? Because I recently asked you to write in and ask personal questions about ME and the industry of newspapering. And since you’ve already sent a butt-ton of questions, let’s dive in, shall we?
Kelly Robertson writes, “What does the ‘Wm.’ in ‘Wm. Steven Humphrey’ stand for?” Good question, Kelly! “Wm.” is an old-timey, shortened version of William, which I started using because typing out “William Steven Humphrey” takes up too much space in a byline. “Okaaaaay…,” you say suspiciously, “but if you’re so concerned about space, why use William at all?” Because (fun fact) I’m the sixth William Humphrey in my family, and when I started writing professionally back in the early ’90s, I thought it would be a nice tip o’ the hat to my ancestry.
But… PLOT TWIST! Over time I discovered that the act of “passing a name down through generations” is actually just more patriarchal bullshit which ensured that special privileges would continue getting heaped upon male heirs instead of the women in their family. So great job, “Wm. Steven Humphrey”! Thanks for perpetuating the patriarchy! UNGGGHH! WHY DID I PICK THIS QUESTION??
