oops, xpost.

To Tina: Sure! Hype City is easily the least unlistenable, and even mostly enjoyable. I'll email you about it.

Oh, and thanks for the kind words on the High Hat!

To Jon: Absolutely.

Also, I seem to think that I've promised CDs to people and failed to deliver. If anyone feels that I've slighted them, please say so. I'm a forgetful guy, but not intentionally so.

I know I'm guilty of this. In fact I've got my guilt list right here on my computer. But be assured, as soon as I get the ding dang book done I'll catch up. Except then there's the wedding. So...maybe I'm lying. But I promise to feel guilty in the meantime.

Speaking of the book: those of you who contributed, gird yourselves now because the book is coming in El Gordo fat. So while nothing will be cut, everything is getting trimmed. As a writer who is never happy to be edited, all I can do is say, "Sorry - it's not you. It's me," and give you some prior warning.

Our publisher is even making the index and writer bios to come out of our wordcount. Which, to be fair, has to do with a number of publishing issues like laying out the book, booksize for shipping and shelf space, pricing etc. It's funny how you get used to word space online being close to infinite, whereas committing words to print has a host of physical world consequences.

Yikes, David. Sorry to hear it.

Yikes, David. Sorry to hear it.

Aww, it's not a crisis. We built some leeway into the book by soliciting sidebars and collecting some vintage reviews by old zine writers from the 70s, and Kim and I have cut back on our essays. It's actually better to aim fat, and leave yourself room to trim here and there without losing any major contributions. It's just a bit fatter than planned because most folks went over the 300 word limit. Also the writer bios add up unexpectedly.

So, out come the knives. But I have to say Kim's been doing line edits for a long time (she has her own magazine) and she wields a very fine scalpel. Generally the essays come out the better for her cuts. It's just still no fun if you're the writer.

Nah, I appreciate a good editor. It's a rare skill and always improves pieces when used well.

That said, I confess that my reviews came to me in a prophetic dream and were ultimately carved by lightning into stone tablets high upon Mount Lester. Just in case you were thinking about cutting them. (ah, I kid.)

My Sidebar?!

carved by lightning into stone tablets

As an editor, I scoff at stone tablets. I wield a mighty stonecutter.

My Sidebar?!

Nah, you're in. But I need you to sign a release.

Some people submitted multiple sidebars. We're being careful not to cut any of the solicited and approved main reviews. Nobody's going to be cut out of the book entirely.

I wield a mighty stonecutter.

So you're responsible for Steve Guttenberg's career!

So you're responsible for Steve Guttenberg's career!

The minute I typed "stonecutter" -- nay, as soon as I got "s-t-o-" out -- I knew it was going to go in a Simpsons direction.