Atlas Shrugged: The Mocking

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Jonah Goldberg Has a Request

Jonah Goldberg is preparing the paperback edition of his book "Liberal Fascism: From Lucianne's Pocketbook to Wingnut Welfare," and he continues his fine tradition of not actually doing very much work. He has admitted that he didn't read all of the books he used for research from beginning to end, and just cherry-picked the bits he wanted. He also blegged extensively for help in finding and understanding the reading material. When after four years he still hadn't finished his book, he hired an assistant. Finally it was published and now the paperback is going to be printed.

But Jonah has one more request.

Favor from Readers

The paperback is coming in the spring and in addition
to a new post-election chapter I need to provide the publisher with a list of
fixes for typographical and other discrete errors. I can't do wholesale
revisions. But if I got a date wrong, misspelled a name, etc. I can make those
sorts of fixes. I have a few. But if you can recall others, please send them
along to me with the subject header "revision." Thanks!


And we are supposed to take conservative intellectuals seriously?

Jonah Goldberg--the comedy gift that keeps on giving.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, I'll at least give him credit for wanting to correct his errors and mistakes, unlike others of his profession that we know. But doesn't the publisher employ people called "editors" to do this sort of work? It's hard to see this sort of stuff in your own writing, so I understand why he'd want an objective outsider to help with it, but it's professionally published. You want me to help you with your mistakes, Jonah? Sure. I charge $75 an hour.

Though you'd have to pay me a lot more than that to even read Jonah's book in the first place.

Anonymous said...

He could, you know, PAY a copy editor. There are probably several thousand of them available in New York alone.

Cheap bastard.

Susan of Texas said...

I have a feeling the editor knew that fact-checking wouldn't be a priority to Jonah's readers. I can't remember who edited the book, but I do remember he was the son of some famous conservative too.

Susan of Texas said...

Julia, I know a freelance editor in New York who's incredibly detailed and relentless in her editing. She'd reduce him to tears in minutes, however.