Every September, as the maple outside her window turned from deep green to a hesitant gold, Clara would open her style guide. And every year, the answer was the same. The Chicago Manual of Style said: no. Seasons are common nouns. Spring, summer, autumn, winter—lowercase unless personified or part of a proper noun.
Dear Sir or Madam, she wrote. For years I have believed that seasons are not proper nouns. But last night, I met autumn—no, Autumn—in the street. She wore gold on her sleeves and smelled of apples. And I realized: we capitalize what we respect, what we love, what we welcome like a guest. Autumn has a personality, a presence, a promise. She deserves the dignity of a capital letter. should autumn be capitalized
The next morning, Clara sat at her desk. She opened the style guide, then closed it. She took out a fresh sheet of paper and wrote a letter to the editor of the grammar column she secretly admired. Every September, as the maple outside her window