The editorial process revealed

A certain amount of back and forth is involved:

“Okay now. Delete the sentence that ends ‘unforgiven blimp fiasco.'”

“Okay…”

“Delete from ‘cigar, mouse’ all the way to ‘favoring that we.'”

“Okay…”

“And the sentence ending ‘punks and losers.'”

“Akay…”

“And in the whole last paragraph, cut the following words: ‘duck,’ ‘flavor,’ ‘Marvin,’ ‘whereas,’ ‘celluloid,’ ‘bingo,’ and ‘dropsy.’ And cut the whole song Silver Threads Among the Gold.”

“Mmmmkay, there. Darling?”

“What?”

“Take me.”

From Ninety-Two in the Shade by Thomas McGuane