Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ 29th July 2023, 10:14 AMđŸ˜‚ Kurt Vonnegut roll over. (He famously punched his editor's lights out over his editing of a mere short story)
Have you read Hunter S. Thompson's letter to Anthony Burgess? It's a treat. It's not a rant against ill-advised editing, but an editor objecting to a contributor not coming up with the requested goods.
Context: Thompson was an editor of Rolling Stone magazine. Anthony Burgess had been asked to write a thinkpiece but had instead proposed a novella.
Thompson's response:
Dear Mr. Burgess,
Herr Wenner has forwarded your useless letter from Rome to the National Affairs Desk for my examination and/or reply.
Unfortunately, we have no International Gibberish Desk, or it would have ended up there.
What kind of lame, half-mad bullshit are you trying to sneak over on us? When Rolling Stone asks for "a thinkpiece", goddamnit, we want a f**king Thinkpiece... and don't try to weasel out with any of your limey bullshit about a "50,000 word novella about the condition humaine, etc..."
Do you take us for a gang of brainless lizards? Rich hoodlums? Dilettante thugs?
You lazy cocksucker. I want that Thinkpiece on my desk by Labor Day. And I want it ready for press. The time has come & gone when cheapjack scum like you can get away with the kind of scams you got rich from in the past.
Get your worthless ass out of the piazza and back to the typewriter. Your type is a dime a dozen around here, Burgess, and I'm f**ked if I'm going to stand for it any longer.
Sincerely,
Hunter S Thompson
