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Jesus and the art of magazine editing.

Jesus and the art of magazine editing.

If you had told me what I was facing in helming a magazine, I would have laughed, not believed you. After all, my impression of magazine editing is–sorry–was based solely on the portrayals of Ben Fong-Torres in “Almost Famous” and the guy from TNR played by Hank Azaria in “Shattered Glass”. But let me tell you now, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

I’m excited to be working, doing what I reallly have wanted to do for most of my adult life. I have an amazing group of writers and a great staff. However, Jesus Christ had nothing on me. He got crucified once, rose three days later, and got to go to heaven and be worshipped by gazillions. An editor, on the other hand, gets crucified at the end of every month, sleeps it off in one night, and gets to start all over again the next day! Ah, the joys of perpetual persecution.

Understand this, though. I’ve always envied people in the movies who have the jobs that demand long hours that they’re happy to put in because they are on a mission in life. I’ve always wanted that myself–twenty-hour, Dagny-Taggart-Asleep-At-Her-Desk, walking-zombie drive to succeed. And now I have it. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

My friends hate me now, because I haven’t much time and when I do, I’m on the cell almost constantly. My kid barely knows me. And I’m not writing for myself. It’s all I can do to get my writers’ work into the magazine, much less pen a letter from the editor. It’s hard work!

If ever you wondered what an editor does for a living, email me and I’ll be happy to tell you. But be prepared. It’s a torture story that would make a Poe story read like a fairy tale bedtime rhyme.

Alas the joys of success. Don’t get me wrong. I’m loving every minute of it.

P.S. I’ll write more regularly now that my feet are back down on the earth. –md