Dateline: above the garage in Portsmouth RI, 2 April 2005
Oooh! I hate that Mark Warren!
As I always do whenever he makes me re-write extensively. He had told me previously that the shrinking-the-Gap alternative scenarios section (number 1 of 3 in Chapter 4) was, in his words, "incredibly clotted" with jargon. Whenever Warren says "clotted," I cringe, because it means I have a lot of work to do over a large section, and this one was no different from any of the others in that way.
Backtracking a bit: last night I was at Principia College where I did the Friday night keynote speech in a rather nice auditorium. Before the talk, there was a great dinner in my honor at the college president's house, one of the most lovely old houses I have ever been in, especially since it sits perched on a towering bluff that affords huge views of the Mississippi as it rolls by.
Treat of the evening was listening to two significant historical figures: one was James Rosenau, a towering academic in my field, and the other was Watergate plumber Bud Krogh, who can tell plenty of fascinating stories about the Nixon White House, where he served in the General Counsel's office (I believe he was actually the only WH official to plead guilty and take his medicine willingly, which marked him as an unusual figure in that whole affair).
My talk later went well, but far too long--a result of not having given it in three weeks plus being so G.D. fatigued by the week and the nervous energy surrounding the book's submission (actually, it makes me nervous now to think Nyren's probably perusing it right now). Right after the talk I signed about 30 paperback editions of PNM for students and faculty.
That's right! Paperbacks!
Somehow the book store at Principia got Putnam to send them a box of paperbacks all these weeks prior to release. It was pretty amazing to hold one in my hand finally, but not for long, because the student wanted my signature and then to walk off with it. I would have bought one myself but they sold out quickly.
Edition looks nice. They put the map in the front matter pages in a nice gray-scale version. Lots of I-love-Barnett quotes up there too. Overall, pretty cool and certainly thrilling to handle--it coming as such a surprise.
Up at 0600 for my drive to airport. Tackled the intro to Chapter 4 on plane, and then, upon return home, I spent several hours rewriting the first section of Chapter 4 (waiting on the last two sections from Warren--but screw it, because I'm done for the day!).
Gotta give Jerry a bath and then we watch something on the widescreen--me and the kids.
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