How you know a writer is being paid by the word: when he writes something like this –<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Behold us, turned to birds, a prey to the talons of kites, hawks, and falcons! Behold us made companions of water-hens, snipes, goldfinches, woodpeckers, jays, owls, magpies, jackdaws, rooks, starlings, woodcocks, cocks, hens and chickens, turkey-cocks, blackbirds, thrushes, chaffinches, tomtits, jenny-wrens, lapwings, linnets, greenfinches, crossbills, flycatchers, larks, plovers, kingfishers, wagtails, redbreasts, redfinches, sparrows, ducks, fieldfares, woodpigeons and bullfinches!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(To which the editor replies, “I think we got the point after, oh, the first half-dozen birds listed.”)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How you know a writer is being paid by the word: when he writes something like this – “Behold us, turned to birds, a prey to the talons of kites, hawks, and falcons! Behold us made companions of water-hens, snipes, goldfinches, woodpeckers, jays, owls, magpies, jackdaws, rooks, starlings, woodcocks, cocks, hens and chickens, turkey-cocks, blackbirds, … <\/p>\n