It sounds like a contentious altercation with Fontain heavily defending himself, his status as a writer, and his craft. But the Sun Times, I'd say, most likely didn't hire Fontain for his scathing egoism but for the craft he is so confident in. This isn't about Fontain but how he handled and is handling this situation -- where is the content of character in his retaliatory posture?
since, a cpl weeks ago, i kvetched about the low quality [IMHO] of the the TotW candidates, i have to give you props: this week's top 3 candidates [IMNSHO] were excellent. unfortunately, the voters are not aligned with my opinion of the top 3.
I agree that it would be good for John Fountain and Jennifer Fountain to reach an agreement and continue Fountain’s column.
First step - take this out of public comment with a request for each person to meet in private and seek a solution. I do not think outside opinions will do any good.
Next step - emphasize we need good editors and good writers to work together to continue high quality columns in a world that is seeing print media disappear.
I already sent an email, but the "matriarchal" crack annoyed me. Perhaps Mr. Fountain has as big a problem with women as Ms. Ko is alleged to have with Black men.
Wow, these edits are so heavy I can't help but think somebody is playing "there's-a-new-sheriff-in-town" with Fountain's piece. Some of the copy-tightening is justifiable, but the wholesale reordering of paragraphs seems capricious. The first proposed revision absolutely sucks the life out of the column, and the second, while graciously/grudgingly giving Fountain his lede back, isn't much better.
Eric, you'd tell me if I ever Kho'd your column, right? Interesting situation. Over a couple decades of column-editing, I thought of my role as someone who learned a writer's voice and made sure he or she was conveying the points they intended to make without stepping on landmines along the way. Anything beyond basic edits would always involve a conversation with the writer, not a delivery of a wholesale rewrite and restructuring. Good lord. But something else must be afoot with this situation... why is an executive editor line editing a column in the first place? In any case, it's too bad this has become - yet another - internal workplace squabble tossed into the public sphere and tinged with accusations of racism, but here we are.
When I saw the fusion headline in the news, I did a little eye roll and chuckle. The milestone claimed has no importance; the technology used is completely inappropriate for industrial use.
I carefully follow the news about fusion, and, infinitely more exciting and hopeful to me, nuclear fission. We can have zero-carbon, safe, and cost-effective nuclear power now, but the western world is largely turning its back on it. See Germany.
As a Side Note, scientific journalism is not worth reading, mainly. The only source I find really knowledgeable and with a perspective on what is truly progress, is the online journal Quanta. It’s a step up from what Scientific American used to be.
If I were editing Fountain's largely persuasive rejoinder, I would nix the odd word choice "matriarchal," which, unless I'm missing something, suggests resentment of a woman boss, as well as the implicit charge -- which doesn't ring true on the facts and allegations we have -- that he was singled out for a Kho-ing because he's black.
If I were editing Kho's response, I would suggest a rewrite that doesn't sound like bullshit.
It sounds like a contentious altercation with Fontain heavily defending himself, his status as a writer, and his craft. But the Sun Times, I'd say, most likely didn't hire Fontain for his scathing egoism but for the craft he is so confident in. This isn't about Fontain but how he handled and is handling this situation -- where is the content of character in his retaliatory posture?
Wow! I'm not an award winning columnist and I'd be insulted with the amount of editing in either version.
since, a cpl weeks ago, i kvetched about the low quality [IMHO] of the the TotW candidates, i have to give you props: this week's top 3 candidates [IMNSHO] were excellent. unfortunately, the voters are not aligned with my opinion of the top 3.
I agree that it would be good for John Fountain and Jennifer Fountain to reach an agreement and continue Fountain’s column.
First step - take this out of public comment with a request for each person to meet in private and seek a solution. I do not think outside opinions will do any good.
Next step - emphasize we need good editors and good writers to work together to continue high quality columns in a world that is seeing print media disappear.
I already sent an email, but the "matriarchal" crack annoyed me. Perhaps Mr. Fountain has as big a problem with women as Ms. Ko is alleged to have with Black men.
Wow, these edits are so heavy I can't help but think somebody is playing "there's-a-new-sheriff-in-town" with Fountain's piece. Some of the copy-tightening is justifiable, but the wholesale reordering of paragraphs seems capricious. The first proposed revision absolutely sucks the life out of the column, and the second, while graciously/grudgingly giving Fountain his lede back, isn't much better.
Eric, you'd tell me if I ever Kho'd your column, right? Interesting situation. Over a couple decades of column-editing, I thought of my role as someone who learned a writer's voice and made sure he or she was conveying the points they intended to make without stepping on landmines along the way. Anything beyond basic edits would always involve a conversation with the writer, not a delivery of a wholesale rewrite and restructuring. Good lord. But something else must be afoot with this situation... why is an executive editor line editing a column in the first place? In any case, it's too bad this has become - yet another - internal workplace squabble tossed into the public sphere and tinged with accusations of racism, but here we are.
When I saw the fusion headline in the news, I did a little eye roll and chuckle. The milestone claimed has no importance; the technology used is completely inappropriate for industrial use.
I carefully follow the news about fusion, and, infinitely more exciting and hopeful to me, nuclear fission. We can have zero-carbon, safe, and cost-effective nuclear power now, but the western world is largely turning its back on it. See Germany.
As a Side Note, scientific journalism is not worth reading, mainly. The only source I find really knowledgeable and with a perspective on what is truly progress, is the online journal Quanta. It’s a step up from what Scientific American used to be.
If I were editing Fountain's largely persuasive rejoinder, I would nix the odd word choice "matriarchal," which, unless I'm missing something, suggests resentment of a woman boss, as well as the implicit charge -- which doesn't ring true on the facts and allegations we have -- that he was singled out for a Kho-ing because he's black.
If I were editing Kho's response, I would suggest a rewrite that doesn't sound like bullshit.