Welcome to our weekly Boredwalk Community series, where we ask Boredwalk fans fun questions! This week we're talking to J.D. H. of Palm Springs CA, who's looking sharp in a Be the Strange You Wish to See in the World T-Shirt.
1. What's your biggest pet peeve?
My biggest pet peeve is when people use the nominative case in a compound object. It's wrong, even if all the cool kids are doing it.
SAY "to Jane and me" NOT "to Jane and I." (You'd never say "to I." Right?)
SAY "to Tom and him" NOT "to Tom and he." (You'd never say "to he." Right?)
SAY "between you and me" NOT "between you and I." (Okay, "between I" would never happen, but by now I hope you get my drift.)
A compound object does NOT prompt a shift to the nominative case, people. There, I've said it. I feel better now. (Ed. note: In case you hadn't guessed, J.D. is a professional writer. More on that below!)
2. What experience do you most want to cross off your bucket list?
I'm the last twig on this branch of the family tree. I've been doing some research and have become a bit obsessed with the idea of visiting the places from where my ancestors emigrated — mostly Ireland (where I've never been) and, much to my surprise, Switzerland (where I've waited in an airport.) I think it's something about being the end of the tale that's making me want to revisit the beginning. I'm hoping to do this in 2020. (Good luck! I have also had the...pleasure?...of overpaying for food in the Zurich airport.)
3. What's a book you think the Boredwalk community should read?
I have the perfect book for the Boredwalk community — The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgalkov. (Get Mirra Ginsburg's translation.) Hilarious, terrifying, heartwarming, blasphemous — basically a Boredwalk t-shirt in book form. (Sold!)
4. Clear up a misconception (about your job, where you are from, some other topic you know a lot about.)
Unless you're a celebrity of some sort, you can't really sell an idea for a novel to an agent or publisher. You have to write the book first — prove you can deliver on your idea. Once you become known as an author, you might find yourself in the position where you land a publishing contract based on an outline or even just an idea, but until then you have to put the work in up front. (This is FANTASTIC advice, and applies to most creative pursuits. Thanks, J.D.!)
5. Where can the rest of the Boredwalk community find you?
Instagram: @authorjdhorn (check this out for cute pix of Kirby the chihuahua, too!)
Facebook: @AuthorJDHorn
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