My Love!!---AmericanWay's Adam Pitluk

It's amazing how close I feel to Adam Pitluk. You might say we are like brothers. But "lovers," to be truthful, feels more correct.

I remember when I was single and my assistant would announce a call from a new girlfriend. That's the same sort of surging anticipation and yearning that strains in me now each time I go to read the latest Editor's Note over at AmericanWay (American Airline's in-flight magazine).

It doesn't matter that I've called Adam's writing "retarded" and "piss-poor" and that he's called me (anonymously) a "cock" and a "dicknose." There's clearly something beautiful between us.

O, God, Adam, Yes!

And, this time, I'm only going to quote one excerpt from the new Editor's Note:

"I think a Cleveland championship would rank right up there emotionally with the birth of my children." (talking about the Cavaliers).

And I'm right on board with Adam here. When South Africa defeated Australia in the one-day and 5-day cricket test matches down under I felt as good as when my first Love Bird eggs hatched. (Those hatchlings, though, sadly, didn't last long.)

I'm not going to say you should check the rest of the Note out. It's pretty boring. Or maybe it's just the love-shaded glasses my heart's wearing right now. (warts and all, ya know).

If you do want to see my critiques of other Editor's Notes by Adam Pitluk then just click on one of the labels below. The first one's where I called the writing "retarded" and "piss-poor" and though I didn't realize it at the time it was, evidently, love at first sight.

O, Love is such a strangely splendored thing!

AmericanWay's Adam Pitluk Continues to Deliver!

Adam Pitluk, the editor of AmericanWay (American Airline's inflight magazine), is definitely one of my favorite living writers. Not necessarily one of the best. But I can't think of another writer whose work I more look forward to. (and lucky for me it comes out every two weeks.)

Gone, gone, gone---
gone are the days I called his writing "piss-poor" and "retarded."

Adam Pitluk is a showman, wordsmith, philosopher, psychologist, etc, etc
And I can't get enough of him....

Anyways, here, in the issue featuring Paula Abdul on its cover, are some excerpts from his latest offering, "Opposites Attract:"
(to get the complete Adam Pitluk reading experience click here)


1) "The memory is a fascinating instrument -- especially when coupled with the elements of time and space."

This is the first sentence of the Editor's Note and it shows once again that Adam likes to start off with a bang.

Bang! Bang!

So damned clever and so damned profound.

2) "I can remember third grade with more clarity and precision than I can all of 2005, and third grade was 25 years ago. Perhaps in 25 years, 2005 will creep back into my long-term memory, but in 25 years, I’ll be 57, so it’s hard to say."

weird. just weird. but gorgeously and fantastically weird.
and, yes, Adam, it's "hard to say."

3) "The days since the Abdul radio era have turned to months, and the months have turned to years."

Such a beautifully wistful tone. Reading this I can't help but think I'm in the presence of a master!

"the Abdul radio era"--- brilliant!

4) "Paula has resurged once again as an international phenom. Say what you will about her continuous metamorphosis as a household name..."

Adam at his best. No commentary needed.

5) "The music still isn’t my particular brand of tea, but each and every song of hers triggers a pleasant memory of my old life."

I love how Adam fearlessly disfigures cliches and adages.

6) "My old life helped me grow to understand that life throws curveballs."

a master of the succinct universal truth. i've got goosebumps.

7) "Still, I admire the life she’s lived and the memories she’s given me, and for that, Paula is forever my girl. There. I said it."

atta boy, Adam!!

And you, Adam, are forever my boy. There. I said it.

And, damn, do I feel good.

You are a drug, Adam. You are a drug!

The Winds of Change-- Piss-poor, i mean really piss-poor, writing

To follow are some excerpts from the editor's note in the current (January 1, 2009) AmericanWay (American Airline's in-flight magazine).

It's titled "The Winds of Change" and it beings with the sentence "Change is in the air." A few sentences later we get this gem:

" It's as Marcus Aurelius believed in that everything existing 'is already disintegrating and changing.' "

what the fuck?

i mean what the fuck?

(and this can't be explained by a simple "typo." go ahead and try. i did)

ok, now, rewind,...(and continuing forward)

" It's as Marcus Aurelius believed in that everything existing 'is already disintegrating and changing.' True enough, but those who successfully grasp that concept, I believe, will be able to make the inevitable evolutionary course of action changes in their favor. "

mmmmm-hmmmmmm

And, a bit later in the article the editor introduces us to some members of the AmericanWay team:

" Eric Celeste is our leadoff man...On deck is Cathy Booth Thompson...And batting cleanup is the most chiseled writer I've ever read. "

O, Lord!!-- i was so absolutely astonished by the adjective "chiseled" it took me a while to notice that the clean up hitter's batting 3rd. (most any Baseball fan knows the cleanup hitter bats 4th.)

but again who can even think of baseball, etc, when you're trying to properly savor the phrase
" the most chiseled writer I have every read" !!!!!!!



finally, the Editor's note ends with a call for comments and suggestions (adam.pitluk@aapubs.com):

" let me know if we're moving in the right direction. Until then, let us entertain you. "

well, Adam, i'm not sure what direction you're moving in (though I'm sure it's not a straight line) but you certainly have entertained me!