Author Topic: An editing question - now a question on quotations (Read 3442 times)

Annie Subjunctive · « **on:** January 26, 2005, 04:26:49 PM »

As part of revamping the gallery's website (I'm working mostly part-time for my mom's gallery while she goes to classes. It doesn't pay the ridiculous amounts of money I was hoping for, but it works), I am formatting our artist biography pages for the new look and editing a lot of the garbly ignorant material I have to work with.

In some cases, I am merely reproducing the artists' statements we have on file for certain artists. An artist's statment is a semi-sacrosanct document displayed during gallery openings that allows the artist to make a case for whatever he wasn't able to clearly communicate through his artwork.

Wanting to make my website look professional, but also not wanting to make anyone mad for messing with their original concepts, I am torn on a lot of these.

One guy, for instance, keeps capitalizing things in a semi-religious sense that I really don't want to violate:

Quote

This Pipe was originally being created to serve as a Ceremonial Pipe. however, part way through the carving process, a small fissure was discovered in the stone that would make it unusable in Ceremony. Instead of discarding the precious stone, the artist continued to create the Pipe.

How bound am I to preserve those capitalizations? In the cases where I'm just re-wording statements that sound uneducated and juvenile, I have no qualms about slashing up their original statement - they weren't intentionally wording things poorly.

But with this guy... I don't know. He also uses quotation marks all over the place:

Quote

Even though it will not be used in Ceremony, it still contains its own "Medicine."

I think I'm axing the quotes, but unsure about the capitalization.

Any thoughts for an unqualified editress?

Trisha · « **Reply #1 on:** January 26, 2005, 04:35:44 PM »

I wouldn't personally mess with the Pipe. What if it "Medicine"s me?

Jonathon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 26, 2005, 04:38:26 PM »

I'd feel no qualms about lowercasing those capitals and possibly removing the quotes. Capitalizing willy-nilly to try to bestow importance on something is a sign of immature writing. Unless the writer has a very strong preference for the capitalized forms, go ahead and get rid of them. It'll look more professional.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #3 on:** January 26, 2005, 04:56:24 PM »

I would agree if they were words like Art or Paint. I'm just worried about stepping on religious toes here.

For now, I've left the statement pretty much as-is. I think I'll go back tonight and look at it again.

Capt. Tagon · « **Reply #4 on:** January 26, 2005, 05:42:38 PM »

It would depend on whether or not he's referring to a pipe or a work titled Pipe, I guess. There is an intermediate area where Pipe could be a term for something that is clearly not a pipe in the ordinary sense. I'm thinking that's what you're artist is thinking here.

I mean, it almost starts making sense if we start with "Medicine" being juju or mojo or whatever. But in that case the Pipe is probably just a special pipe, not something that wouldn't fit under the ordinary definition of "pipe". The same is true of "Medicine" in this case. And of "Ceremonial".

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #5 on:** January 26, 2005, 05:53:36 PM »

I should clarify that this is a Native American artist who makes pipes for religious ceremonies.

The entire statement.

Trisha · « **Reply #6 on:** January 26, 2005, 06:55:54 PM »

I wouldn't be in your shoes for all the tea in China.

Porter · « **Reply #7 on:** January 26, 2005, 09:19:50 PM »

I'd do it for the street value of all the tea in China.

rivka · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2005, 02:01:36 PM »

Definitely take out the quotes. I'd lean toward getting rid of the capital letters as well . . . I think it would look much better.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2005, 04:31:32 PM »

I'm now working on another mini-essay by this artist about the propriety of selling sacred pipes. My conscience is wracked by his constant and consistent use of the capitals... so I've conceded on some accounts. I'll keep Pipe and Ceremony capitalized, but I won't give in on words like Tribe.

Now my question is about quotation marks. I don't really know the rules on their use in separating specialized terminology. I'm assuming specialized words that you want to set apart should be italicized like foreign words, but I'm not sure. Intuitively, the use of quotation marks automatically makes me regard something as slightly ludicrous; using the quotes marks it as alleged and has a bit of an overtone of official disdain for its veracity. Is there truth to this?

For instance, I think his paragraph here is really weakening his use of these words rather than strengthening it:

Quote

The Pipes made for display have the smoke hole sealed so that there is no path for the "breath of life" and the stem is permanently fixed to the bowl. Since the pipe will never "breathe" or be awakened and thus become a sacred instrument of prayer, it may be displayed in an honorable way as a work of art.

Was I right in rendering it this way, or should I demarcate those terms somehow?

Quote

The Pipes made for display have the smoke hole sealed so that there is no path for the breath of life and the stem is permanently fixed to the bowl. Since the Pipe will never breathe or be awakened and thus become a sacred instrument of prayer, it may be displayed in an honorable way as a work of art.

What are the thoughts?

Also - another question. How widespread is the understanding of the use of the word medicine in a Native American context? Do I need to keep explanatory asides, or is the definition well-enough accepted to leave it alone?

Capt. Tagon · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2005, 10:42:28 PM »

I think that in this case the quotation marks may be taken as indicating that these phrases are "in a manner of speaking" rather than a literal usage. So I would say that while you are correct in thinking that quotation marks often indicate that the writer does not wish to take personal responsibility for the veracity of the quoted words, in this case the meaning is somewhat different.

As for medicine, I would guess that most Americans would understand the usage in reference to Native American spiritual ceremonies and associated contexts. Certainly more than would understand the terms thus translated. If you want an explanatory aside that is informative to all, you could specify the dialect and terms (ex. "Medicine" is used to translate the term "X", a Y dialect word for power drawn from the spirit world according to the Y tradition). Otherwise you're probably not giving the audience enough credit.

Jonathon · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2005, 08:06:58 AM »

If I were editing it, I'd take out both quotes and caps. I think they detract from rather than lend to the seriousness of the piece.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2005, 02:11:59 PM »

I really want to. I'm mostly afraid of making this guy mad.

Jonathon · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2005, 02:29:17 PM »

If you're really worried, you should talk to him about it. I would try to very politely explain that this is what professional style guides suggest. Assure him that the tone of the writing is enough to convey the sacredness and importance of the ideas without quotes and caps everywhere. Maybe even explain that it will improve readability.

Remember that the job of an editor is to act as a mediator between author and audience. You want to make his writing as clear and accessible as possible. And you can tell him that if he really feels strongly about it, you're willing to compromise or do it his way.

Annie Subjunctive · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2005, 02:51:28 PM »

Good plan.

Dude, I hate talking to people, though. I'm not cut out for this public crap.