Brave little terrier.

::sniff::

So the good news is that I got a look at my book cover.

The bad news is that "Swordfishtrombones" doesn't fit so they have to break it. (I'm guessing that maintaining consistency with the rest of the series is going to trump using a smaller font.)

It's bad news because the point of the title (in part) is the joining together of disparate things. So breaking up the word is contrary to the album's essence.

Here are the options they offerred:

Cover #1 - I think this is a definite no as it is the most broken up.

Cover #2 - maybe if they took out the hyphen

Cover #3 - Both intriguing and irritating. It is more consistent with the album to have something unwielding and Not Fitting and contrary to expectations. But I'm afraid it's too visually irritating.

I'm trying to get them to try:

Sword
fishtrombones
or,

Swordfishtrom
bones

Any thoughts Buffistas?

Dammit, that's a gorgeous dog. I'm unimaginative enough that I'd name it Ghost or some variation thereof.

Congrats to the SIL, Allyson.

Kat, was she always going to name him Noah?

Nooo David, they can't break up swordfishtrombones. Can't they, I dunno, slant it or something? Probably not, huh. I guess of those options I'd go for the last, but man, it should really be one word.

Can't they, I dunno, slant it or something?

This is what I was thinking.

but man, it should really be one word.

It really should. They seem intrigued by the

sword
fishtrombones option.

I like #3. Breaking it up is unfortunate, but I like that the way it's broken up in #3 doesn't actually make actual words. If you do find it too visually irritating, I also like

Swordfishtrom
bones.

Sort of on this topic, cousin K wants to know if Matilda was named after the Tom Waits song. She would also like me to tell you that "I can't tell you how many times I've listened to "I wish I was in New Orleans" while bawling over the 15 years I was gone. Of course now it makes me cry happy tears that I'm back!"

Can't they, I dunno, slant it or something?

I'm afraid that would violate the series design worse than a smaller font.

How about "SWORDFISHTROM..."

I really dislike #1. It makes the title look like Sword Fish Tromb Ones. And my immediate reaction is, "Is 'tromb' a real word?"

Liese's suggestion of a diagonal, if feasible (I don't know the publishing/printing world), could create a very intriguing and eye-catching cover. (ETA: Oops. Xpost there.)

Sort of on this topic, cousin K wants to know if Matilda was named after the Tom Waits song.

Matilda's name comes from: Roald Dahl, Tom Waits, all the other Matilda songs, mutual family agreement.

Incidentally, there really was a Mathilde that Tom had an affair with in Copenhagen. She was a Danish folk singer.

She would also like me to tell you that "I can't tell you how many times I've listened to "I wish I was in New Orleans" while bawling over the 15 years I was gone. Of course now it makes me cry happy tears that I'm back!"

That song is especially sad because its full title is "I Wish I Was in New Orleans (in the 9th Ward)."