methods

Patri10629 · 15 May 1999, 19:13 · from urth-v0026.mbox · original

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From: Patri10629 at AOL.COM
Subject: (urth) Re: methods
Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 15:13:31 EDT
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Dear vizcacha, Tony, et all

I guess I didn't get the joke:) Sincere apologies. And I didn't mean to com=
e=20
off as the Thought Police: "Topic Off Limits--Go No Further." Honestly, I=20
didn't.

I too love THE CASTLE OF THE OTTER. I thought we were talking about the=20
actual "how" Wolfe does it--not his ideas, forms, symbols, tactics,=20
aesthetic, theology--all of which I find fascinating too. But speculating o=
n=20
useless things. Like what brand of computer I'm typing on now. Or what I'm=20
smoking. Know what I mean? Oh never mind. I was probably just tired.

On the topic of "line-editing:" It is disgruntling to see sloppy, stupid=20
mistakes in a book as a reader. It is even more alarming to the writers I=20
know--trust me. So I doubt Wolfe's statement about how much finding mistake=
s=20
of the "Marble/Mint" sort disturbs him is an exaggeration.  In my experienc=
e,=20
usually by the time it's published, a novel has been spellchecked and proof=
ed=20
many times. By the writer, friends, assistant editor, the editor, the=20
proofreader.  And yet entropy rules.=20

My editor is also Wolfe's: David G. Hartwell. An extraordinarily careful an=
d=20
critical reader. He, too, is dismayed by the sloppy line-editing he sees. H=
e=20
told me that he read the ms. to Citadel of The Autarch twice, and found,=20
after all that, One Word he could suggest that Wolfe change. (No idea wheth=
er=20
or not Gene took his advice.) But this tells you a lot about the care Gene=20
takes with his writing. On a typewriter no less!=20

Whoops! I've slid off topic!

best as always

Patrick

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