Cheek
If you must pester your editors, for heaven's sake, try to do it with some style. Thank God they are good natured fellows. This is what I just sent them:
I know, I know, I know,
There must be meetings and discussions,
Diagrams of repercussions
Drawn on charts that ebb and flow.
Someone must assess the cost
Of publishing this kind of thing
(The bottom line, a cold-eyed king)
What might be gained, what might be lost.
All this and more is understood
A writer can but sit and wait
To hear his latest effort's fate
But tell me this - is the writing good?
The stories, which offer you a glance
Inside this Catholic soul of mine
Bound with bits of grace and twine
Do they drive your eyes askance?
Or do you think it might be good
To thus assail the pious saints
To strip the portraits of their paints
The plaster cracked, the splintered wood?
I know, I know, I know,
There must be meetings and discussions,
Diagrams of repercussions
Drawn on charts that ebb and flow.
Someone must assess the cost
Of publishing this kind of thing
(The bottom line, a cold-eyed king)
What might be gained, what might be lost.
All this and more is understood
A writer can but sit and wait
To hear his latest effort's fate
But tell me this - is the writing good?
The stories, which offer you a glance
Inside this Catholic soul of mine
Bound with bits of grace and twine
Do they drive your eyes askance?
Or do you think it might be good
To thus assail the pious saints
To strip the portraits of their paints
The plaster cracked, the splintered wood?
posted by Matthew Lickona | 9:52 AM
8 Comments:
Nicely done.
The next book is a book our generation is ready for and will be grateful for. I hope Loyola gets that.
Very droll! As an editor, I'd be grateful to receive that sort of thing rather than insolent demands or protestations and sucht things from over-precious authorial egos.
Let good people do their work... you did yours!
I'm sure the righting was just fine. Good Luck!!
I've submitted an essay for consideration as part of a book. Haven't heard for a while...May I borrow this poem?
Mama Giglio,
Certainly. Though I should note that I sent this mostly because I've worked with these guys before - on the first book. We already have a good relationship, so I knew this would be received in the right spirit. Prudence, prudence...
prudence yes. And I'm told patience is a virtue...not one that I possess though. ;)
i can't tell you how much i enjoyed reading this!
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