Bloodthirsty Condors Chewed Up My Homework!

Well, that’s not quite accurate. I actually did commune with some condors the other day, and they have better manners than you might imagine. I wrote a piece published in this past Sunday’s Los Angeles Times about an historic event: the first nesting condors at Pinnacles National Monument in 100 years! (Note powerful exclamation point, nudging you to feel the electricity of the moment.)

What actually got chewed up a bit was the article, which was edited by about one-third, so my lilting lyricism (and gut-busting jokes) didn’t make the final print. But what the heck, I’m happy to get a travel piece in a fine newspaper, even one that has had a bunch of its staff edited away in the past couple of years as well.

By the way, you might think condors are a pretty unsightly bird, but when they are dressed up? Oooh, baby…

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4 thoughts on “Bloodthirsty Condors Chewed Up My Homework!

  1. Cool! Congratulations on having the piece published. Even if they did edit out all your jokes it’s still another writing credit which is always good.

    Jai

  2. Jai, I do have to get out of the habit of not only seeing the glass half-empty, but that it needs washing too. The writing credit (and the check) are good. Good is good. (See, I can always go into bumper-sticker slogan writing too.)

    Thanks!

  3. When I was a kid, I remember two distinct extinctions I wasn’t looking forward to: condors, and Irish.

    Seems neither is actually going away any time soon.

  4. I was about to make a wholly inappropriate comment about Irish condors (hey, my mother’s maiden name is O’Brien—I have credentials), but I’ll play with a new toy I just got: I’ll be discreet.

    Joel, though I have met a number of dodos in real life, I’m sad to know that the originals are no longer to be found.

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