Merry COFA, Y’all

Flipboard?? I guess I can Google for it. Maybe the stupid AI stuff will get out of the way.

Why, thank you! I am, at the moment, standing at the island in the kitchen, finishing the next NR column, and I think "let's take a Rico break" and this is what I see.

My wife referenced the COFA term on Thanksgiving, because the latest NR was on the bedstand in the guest room where we slept last Wednesday, and she read it while I was sleeping. I had no idea what she was talking about, because I consign everything I have written to the Bin of Things Done, and I'm focused on the next deadline.

The NRODT switch to monthly meant a cut-down in the column length, from 950 to 750. It also meant a change in the schedule, and last night I was unsure if my piece was due today or next week. So I banged out 425 words just in case, to build a foundation for a piece in case I had to come up with something by 5 PM. Turns out I did, but the new print deadlines meant I had until 10:30 AM Tue to file. So I banged out 300 words after the workout at 2 PM, then tried to reconcile it all into one contiguous piece when I got back from watching football with the lads.

The two segments meshed well enough, but lacked a zinger ending. I made three runs at it, and third time was the charm. It's now 12:24 AM, and that means I can fix the local column due tomorrow at 2 PM, which is set for 725 words, and I only have 427, or watch some TV. Problem is, I have to add some art to the upcoming newspaper architectural criticism piece, which I forgot to do, and my boss will want that at 9AM. On the other hand, the Bleat, which has the daily story, the TV segment, the review of 1960s advertising, and some forgotten 1970s newspaper comics, is posted.

Content production!

James Lileks (View Comment):

Why, thank you! I am, at the moment, standing at the island in the kitchen, finishing the next NR column, and I think “let’s take a Rico break” and this is what I see.

My wife referenced the COFA term on Thanksgiving, because the latest NR was on the bedstand in the guest room where we slept last Wednesday, and she read it while I was sleeping. I had no idea what she was talking about, because I consign everything I have written to the Bin of Things Done, and I’m focused on the next deadline.

The NRODT switch to monthly meant a cut-down in the column length, from 950 to 750. It also meant a change in the schedule, and last night I was unsure if my piece was due today or next week. So I banged out 425 words just in case, to build a foundation for a piece in case I had to come up with something by 5 PM. Turns out I did, but the new print deadlines meant I had until 10:30 AM Tue to file. So I banged out 300 words after the workout at 2 PM, then tried to reconcile it all into one contiguous piece when I got back from watching football with the lads.

The two segments meshed well enough, but lacked a zinger ending. I made three runs at it, and third time was the charm. It’s now 12:24 AM, and that means I can fix the local column due tomorrow at 2 PM, which is set for 725 words, and I only have 427, or watch some TV. Problem is, I have to add some art to the upcoming newspaper architectural criticism piece, which I forgot to do, and my boss will want that at 9AM. On the other hand, the Bleat, which has the daily story, the TV segment, the review of 1960s advertising, and some forgotten 1970s newspaper comics, is posted.

Content production!

I'm delighted to hear that the new NR format will include Athwart, even somewhat modified...the various messages on NRO about the change didn't mention it, which felt ominous. Thanks for the insight into the creative process. Inspiration plus craftsmanship, in appropriate proportions.

The only thing I wish NR would do with the new format is to put James Lileks' and Rob Long's columns back together, and return them to later in the magazine . . .

James Lileks (View Comment):

Why, thank you! I am, at the moment, standing at the island in the kitchen, finishing the next NR column, and I think “let’s take a Rico break” and this is what I see.

My wife referenced the COFA term on Thanksgiving, because the latest NR was on the bedstand in the guest room where we slept last Wednesday, and she read it while I was sleeping. I had no idea what she was talking about, because I consign everything I have written to the Bin of Things Done, and I’m focused on the next deadline.

The NRODT switch to monthly meant a cut-down in the column length, from 950 to 750. It also meant a change in the schedule, and last night I was unsure if my piece was due today or next week. So I banged out 425 words just in case, to build a foundation for a piece in case I had to come up with something by 5 PM. Turns out I did, but the new print deadlines meant I had until 10:30 AM Tue to file. So I banged out 300 words after the workout at 2 PM, then tried to reconcile it all into one contiguous piece when I got back from watching football with the lads.

The two segments meshed well enough, but lacked a zinger ending. I made three runs at it, and third time was the charm. It’s now 12:24 AM, and that means I can fix the local column due tomorrow at 2 PM, which is set for 725 words, and I only have 427, or watch some TV. Problem is, I have to add some art to the upcoming newspaper architectural criticism piece, which I forgot to do, and my boss will want that at 9AM. On the other hand, the Bleat, which has the daily story, the TV segment, the review of 1960s advertising, and some forgotten 1970s newspaper comics, is posted.

Content production!

This sounds like how I write sermons. Sigh.