Lizzie Post is an American writer whose opinion on evolving changes in modern manners is frequently cited.
Lizzie Post | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | writer |
| Known for | frequently quoted expert on manners |
Post is a great-great-grandchild of Emily Post, the author of a book on etiquette, published almost 100 years ago, which is still widely consulted today.[1] Post is the co-president of the Emily Post Institute with her cousin Daniel Post Senning;[2] she and other descendants have published updated versions of Emily Post's books. She has also published several books of her own, including Higher Etiquette a cheeky guide to the etiquette of sharing cannabis.[3][4][5][6][7]
Following the fears triggered by Coronavirus disease 2019, and the precautions mandated to keep the public safe, Post has been asked how people can exercise precautions, while still remaining polite.
On April 10, 2020, The Los Angeles Times offered advice to readers on how to be polite when requesting other people you want them to abide by social distancing precautions.[8] They quoted Post's reassurance that individuals are entitled to request that others back off, and quoted several suggested ways to word such requests.
On April 15, 2020, The Daily Beast offered advice on when and how readers could politely decline an invitation to participate in an online gathering, relying on Post's opinion that politely saying one could not participate was sufficient, even if the only reason was just a lack of interest in attending.[9]
On April 23, 2020, Wired magazine wrote about the most tactful ways to offer condolences during the COVID-19 virus period, when one could not offer them in person.[10] They quoted Post's advice to do one's best to bear in mind what the friend or acquaintance really wanted. Messages should explicitly say you do not need them to make the effort to reply. Facebook was a less recommended way of contacting the bereaved, but could be used if it was the only way one had to contact them.
On April 24, 2020, Atlantic magazine, noting how false the traditional answer of "fine" could seem, offered advice on how to respond to the greeting "How are you?".[11] They quoted Post, noting how Emily Post adapted her advice to the exceptional circumstances of wartime, suggesting readers had the option to offer more candid replies.
On May 1, 2020, Digiday quoted Post's advice on whether it was polite for individual participating in an online meeting, via Zoom, or another videotelephony platform, should feel free to drink beverages.[12] She advised that drinking soft drinks, like tea or coffee, was acceptable, provided one was able to avoid "slurping".
References
edit- ^
Grace Lees-Maffei (2012). "Small Change? Emily Post's Etiquette (1922 – 2011)". Must Read: Rediscovering American Bestsellers. S2CID 163974966.
The 18th edition of Emily Post ' s Etiquette (2011) subtitled 'Manners for a New World,' is dedicated to 'all of our mothers who have made this book possible.' This new book was 'led' by Peggy Post, and 'welcomes a new generation of Posts — Anna Post, Lizzie Post, and Daniel Post Senning — the great-great-grandchildren of Emily Post.'
- ^ Miller, Laura (19 April 2017). "Is Etiquette Dead? Dining With the Heirs to Emily Post's Empire". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ Dwight Garner (2019-07-08). "Need Etiquette Tips for Cannabis? For Starters, Don't Call It 'Marijuana' or 'Weed'". The New York Times. p. C6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ Allie Volpe (2019-04-20). "How the Queen of Etiquette Got In on Pot". Rolling Stone magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^ Pam Pho. "Review: Lizzie Post's Beginner's Guide to Cannabis, Higher Etiquette". High Times. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
- ^
"Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties". Publishers Weekly. 2004-11-08. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
Post thereafter mixes the prim-and-proper tone associated with her famous ancestor and the terminology of a veteran stoner: 'One or two hits of vape can go almost unnoticed,' she writes under the heading Discretion Is Still the Better Part of Valor, 'as opposed to taking a hit from a bong or passing a blunt.'
- ^
Jeremy Hobson; Serena McMahon (2019-03-25). "Pass The Joint Politely: Marijuana Etiquette From Emily Post's Great-Great Granddaughter". WBUR. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
Should you tip your 'bud' tender? What should you do if you break a bong at a party? And why is 420 a synonym for cannabis? Lizzie Post, co-president of The Emily Post Institute, answers these questions and more in her new book, 'Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties.'
- ^
Jessica Roy (2020-04-10). "The social etiquette of social distancing: How to say 'back off,' politely". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
"Rather than putting up a strong arm and saying, 'Um, can you back up six feet, please?' the other way you can say it to someone is, 'I'm sorry. I'm trying to maintain the six-foot distance. Do you mind giving me a little more space, please?'" Post said.
- ^
Alaina Demopoulos (2020-04-15). "How to Get Out of Zoom Plans When You Have No Excuse—as Approved by Emily Post". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
Lizzie Post, the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post and co-president of the famed manners expert's eponymous institute, told me that I don't need to do any explanation gymnastics to cartwheel away from plans.
- ^
Adrienne So (2020-04-23). "How to Grieve and Support Others During a Pandemic: What can you do for a friend when you can't give them a hug? We talked to some experts to find out". Wired magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
'You're not making them work to come up with something,' says Post. This advice also applies if someone you know has recently contracted Covid-19. 'If I called them, I would say explicitly that you don't expect to hear back from them and you want to let them know you're wishing them well right now,' Post says.
- ^
Ashley Fetters (2020-04-24). "What to Ask Instead of 'How Are You?' During a Pandemic: Everyone's doing badly. We need better questions to ask". Atlantic magazine. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
There is, however, precedent for adjusting what's customary or polite in extraordinary times. Lizzie Post, a co-president of the Emily Post Institute and the great-great-granddaughter of its namesake manners expert, pointed out to me that a World War II–era edition of Emily Post's Etiquette included a special wartime supplement, in which Post urged dinner-party hosts to abandon the established custom of serving every guest a hearty portion regardless of the size of their appetite, in order to minimize food waste.
- ^
Shareen Pathak (2020-05-01). "Don't lurk, don't eat, please mute: The new etiquette rules of Zoom". Digiday. Retrieved 2020-04-30.
Then of course, there's the eating. Zoom's active speaker view makes the act of eating (especially when coupled with the act of not muting yourself) particularly horrifying for some, especially when crunching is involved. For Lizzie Post, the author of Higher Etiquette and the great-great-granddaughter of Emily Post, coffee, or tea are OK, but "slurping" definitely isn't. Or at least, announce it first by asking if someone minds, if you have to do it, said Post.