Perhaps I'm multiplying entities beyond necessity, but our journey through DM's albatross seems to deserve its own topic.
Everyone feel free to contribute here, if you wish.
I'm on page 54. By my calculations, I need to knock off 40 pages a day to finish this in maybe 15 days. Hope that's soon enough. If not, DM should scream. Early observations:
Yes, some redundancies, which isn't so bad for the reader who skips around, but becomes noticeable in a straight-through read. Not certain how to advise, but will mark them as requested.
Graphs and tables would be wonderful in some spots where you list lineage figures and times, but could be more work than you have time for.
I'm wondering how much redundancy our line edits will have. But that will be your problem, I guess. You got someone to look over all our edits and enter them?
I'm redlining (actually blue-lining) a two-page-per-sheet printout. My markup therefore approaches the microscopic. To make sure my edits get noticed, I always make a dark line in the margin. So a dark line signifies either an edit or a doze-off.
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I'm on page 106. My company pays for my paper and toner, and my eyes aren't what they once were so I splurged and selected "fit to printable area" and printed one page per sheet, single sided. I'm using standard proofreading marks and making somewhat legible scribbles in red ink in the margins.
Only doing a few pages at night before bed during the week; expect to go nuts on the weekend and get through larger chunks. Plus Greg is dragging me up to his parents' for Xmas, so if I don't have time before then, I'm sure I'll have PLENTY of time to hide in one of the non-Steinbeck-laden rooms and plow through it then.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
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If there is a non-Steinbeck room in the Lynch Manse, I have yet to find it.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
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Hopefully the redundancies lessen. I got bogged down in the intro and sort of wrote it twice. Then I got really confused. Hopefully that straightens itself out in later chapters.
Greg & TQ at Lynch manor boggles the mind. Is there even any room to lie down there anymore?
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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No. So we're bringing Maeve and hoping she destroys enough to make some room for all of us.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
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you know, steinbeck books look a lot like bones...
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
Have reached page 95.
Lady Cranefly asked me why it's taking me so long to read. Hell, I don't know. It's not like I'm falling asleep. I've just always been an incredibly slow reader.
So far, I think it has a very good feel to it. It might wend and wind a bit, but it knows where it's headed, and it's a good place to go. There's a definite Buddhist sensibility to the tale -- similar to what an anti-Steven Seagal might achieve were he to anti-write his anti-memoirs with an anti-sword up his ass -- with all due respect.
On that note, I better get back to reading...
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Everything to Maeve looks chewable. We have proof. We are also practicing " leave it" , " Take it" and "Drop it" Well, tQ and I are practicing. Maeve just wants to know when she's getting another frickin treat. Pardon me for the tangent. Now, back to the Albatross. (If it had a hot chick in it, it could be the Jessica Albatross)
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit
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read on, brothers & sisters, read on...
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
Re: the "...who shall remain nameless" club.
I suspect that everyone in this tight circle of reviewers keeps hoping to see their name mentioned -- not for the ego-boost it might provide but out of relief at not being cast into the "who shall remain nameless" club.
However, accompanying that relief is a strange bedfellow of concern that DM is censoring himself, out of the kindness of his Buddhist heart, and going easy on close friends. Even as I cringe, I would urge him to resist such a benevolent impulse.
Two reads come readily to mind. One is The Highs and Lows of Flying by Harvey Mace, a WWII fighter pilot I met while living among the Mendocino redwoods. What a life he's had. But in the foreword of his book, while thanking his editor, he mentions how the editor "reined him in" in spots. A case in point, removing his description of how pilots took leaks while flying. Apparently the editor deemed it TMI. Who knows how much other stuff got "cleaned up." I felt it was a very bad call and wished Harvey had instead been encouraged to detail everything to the nitty-gritty.
The other is Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane, which I reviewed here some months ago. In his foreword, Mike mentions how the editor as well as colleagues took him to task over some of the things he said or included. For instance, he's very critical of politicians going into space (John Glenn in particular is targeted), and not at all a fan of Sally Ride (humorless and often spiteful). But as Mike puts it, this is his tale and his opinions formed over the course of his adventures, and he will remain true to "his experience." He proceeds to detail things as he saw and felt them, and I'm so thankful he resisted the pressure from all sides to tone things down.
Meanwhile, I'm on page 115, and back at it...
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I'm slacking...I've been trying to get a release out at work this week and I'm going to see Son Volt tonight. Maybe I'll have some time tomorrow.
--tg
Page 150.
This is a very dense and ornate tapestry, loaded with info, anecdotes and insight. Gotta hand it to DM. He's hitting on all cylinders, each finger and toe acting like a fist.
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Drunk Monk Wrote:read on, brothers & sisters, read on...
Well, I did get to the part about the five nipples. I got a little distracted.
Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
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Hmm, forgot about that. I should add 'nipples' as an index entry.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
That's funny. Two days ago I made the following note in the margin.
Index entry: nipples
Meanwhile, keeping you up to date, I laid the manuscript on the living room floor to go in my office and check my email.
Upon returning, I discovered that Fudge had puked all over it.
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