I am afraid everybody wants to make and see your godson vomit now. Have some more ice cream!

In recent weeks, Laura and I had pumpkin creme brulee and pumpkin ravioli.

Bernard

Do you want to see him vomit?

Oscar

The best pumpkin ravioli ever did I eat in Mantova. When will Laura cook for me? She doesn't have to read my novels, all I ask is some food.

They're not his children?

Dens

You are right: "their children" might have been more appropriate. I changed it.

Arnon

Was this an invitation by the lady who drank white wine at lunch a while ago and since then mailed you on a regular base?

Ik heb een email gestuurd naar u uitgever

On editing

My experience with writing and editing is that the realtionship between both are quite intimate. More intimate than the writer is often willing to admit, I believe. That we, random readers, can - as it seems - (to some extent) overtly participate in that process is partially what makes our relationship (between writer, and reader, and between readers) perilous.
Insofar one considers intimacy to be problematic of course.

Pjötr

Interesting, but what's the connection. Where did this come from?

Arnon

Laura informs me that if she were to cook for you, she would make "a mean wild mushroom risotto".

To Arnon

From you taking Dens' remark seriously - and other occasions for wich I am not going through the backlog of entries.

Oscar

I'm looking forward to it.
(Would you describe Laura as a mean person? Is she a mean cook?)

Arnon

Whenever you are in or around Maastricht I invite you to have the best couscous you ever had. In this restaurant (Tramhalte) is also every monday jazz and once a month "literair cafe" with special guests. In november the special guest is J. Bernlef. Now that I mention this I like to invite you for the "literair cafe" as wel. In Eupen I had some of your chicken, in Maastricht you are my guest.

Pjötr

You mean Dens' remark about the word "her" instead of "their"?
This was I believe a lapsus (calami) but you are suggesting there is more to it?

Arnon

Laura is more a mean cook than a mean person.

To Arnon

This time, indeed, the editing came in the shape of filtering out a typo.

Although filtering out typo's is on first judgement less problematic than certain other liberties editors take upon them it is the recognition of 'the other' as an equal. A kind of equality that leaves our weaknesses stripped. I believe it is evident that honesty about the latter leads to vulnerability - of which the recognition is (this is where we come full circle) intimate.

Does that answer your question?

Pjötr

I'm not sure if correcting a typo is already editing.
In my experience an editor does not make changes without the author's consent.
This is not to say that when it comes to literature in translation (especially when the author is not able to read the language in which his work is translated) mistakes are not being made.
The "holyness" of the text is not so evident by the way.
Think of the oral tradition, or think of monks copying texts and making small changes each time the text is being copied.

@Pjtor, I have read and reread your entries and still can't seem to get my head around "a kind of equality that leaves our weaknesses stripped." Do you mean our weaknesses exposed? If you do mean stripping our weaknesses, ie getting rid of them, then wouldn't that suggest we were less vulnerable as opposed to more? If you do mean greater vulnerability, I'm not sure I would agree. Listening to someone's advice does not necessarily mean you and the advisor are equals, I would say it means you are wise. A wise person would never change what he/she deems essential, despite contrary advice. Even at the risk of being foolish.