An article for a certain business magazine appeared a couple weeks ago (the mag appeared in our mail box with the article in it). Writing for publication is an exercise in humility. The article had been reworked, and was, I admit, an improvement over what I had submitted.

On the other hand, a couple articles I wrote for another publication also arrived in our mail box in September--and both those articles were virtually unchanged. (Only a few minor adjustments.)

This is the sort of thing bruised, fragile writers' egos need from time to time...

Most recently I sent another article to the latter publication, then heard back from the editor. He left most of it alone, but still changed a fair amount. He also complimented my "good work" and "good quotes."

So basically in regards to my Fragile Writer's Ego, his comments, and his changes, were a wash.

So--my point is? Not sure. Just kind of running on at the keyboard here...

Then I might as well change topics, eh?

What'll we talk about? How about books?

I've selected a book from my bookshelf for an upcoming journey and it's one I've picked up before and never finished: The Name of The Rose, by Umberto Eco. It's kind of a mystery story for nerds--set in the 14th century and with all kinds of historical stuff about monasteries and Catholic orders and Thomastic thought and what-have-you. It was a book (I recall) that my erudite, historian father read and liked a few years before his death in the 1980's. It was a NYT bestseller in those days, which just goes to show, there were (are?) a lot of nerds out there....

Dad, essentially, didn't read novels, as I recall. He just loved reading non-fiction however: diving into the philosophical and historical and psychological and theological Deep Waters. That is why it sticks in my memory that he liked The Name of The Rose.

So as I read it, I will think about my dad from time to time, I think.