(no subject)

[maribou]

for randomdreams, a quote from Daniel Menaker's just-out book, A Good Talk:

"Speaking of puns, William Shawn, the longtime editor of The New Yorker, hated them, an aboriginal distaste inherited from the magazine's founder, Harold Ross. I once wrote a 'Talk of the Town' story during a transit strike about hitchhiking around Manhattan, which ended with a dialogue between me and a fellow pedestrian. I asked him how he was getting around, and he said, 'Diesel.' I said, 'Diesel?' He pointed to his feet and said, 'Diesel get me anywhere.' Shawn cut that line and I tried to restore it before it went to press, when the piece was in galley proof. He called me into his office and said in his quiet voice, "Mr. Menaker, I understand you want to put back the original ending of your "Talk" story.' I said, 'I know we usually don't use puns, but this one seemed pretty good.' He smiled in pain and said, 'I think you must not understand that to use this pun would destroy the magazine.'"

(stole this quote from Publishers Weekly's Jan. 11th issue)

Comments

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

Well, he's right: a pun is a plague on words, and hardly the sort of stuff for The New Yorker, alas.

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

EEEEeeeee!

[ilmarinen.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'm getting it.

[maribou]

I just like to harass randomdreams about his enthusiastic love of a) puns and b) the New Yorker. And voila, a quote that can harass him about both at once! It would probably be more amusing if you knew more about Wallace Shawn, too.

[maribou]

*ignores you in the hopes you will get better*

[maribou]

eeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEE!