Followup. And if reading slush is anything like reading the comments to this post, no wonder you get giddy from time to time... Yaaahhh. So many comments, so little time!
[Referred here from Delong's site.]
Fantastic post. But you are missing one critical point. These letters you cite are *explicitly rants*. These are poeple in the first two stages of mourning.
1. Denial and Isolation: The first reaction to learning of terminal illness or death of a cherished [whatever] is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.
2. Anger: As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. The anger may be aimed at inanimate objects, complete strangers, friends or family.
Their mistake, if mistake it was, was to punch out a window in public, rather than in the privacy of their own home. So, while I agree completely with every word you say, I still think you are wrong in your assessment of the authors. They will get over it, probably after another couple days.
Just as the author shouldn't take the rejection letter personally, despite being nothing other than human, the editor who reads these rants should take them with a grain of salt. There's nothing personal. It's just something that the rejectees have been doing in private since forever.
| Year | Number of comments posted |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 |
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