Notes on 'Omission' by John McPhee

Article published in The New Yorker on September 7, 2015
Written by John McPhee, detailing his experiences as a writer, especially focusing on the theme of what to leave out in writing.

In the 1950s, entry-level writing jobs included a column called "Miscellany," presenting one-sentence oddities.
- Structure: Each item had a title, typically a pun.
- Writers typically did not stay long in this position.
- McPhee ended up working on Miscellany for 1.5 years, producing about 1,000 stories and puns.
- Example: Title of a story was "Two Tired," based on a person falling asleep while biking.

Bingham served as McPhee's editor for sixteen years.
- McPhee was organically handed off from initial editor William Shawn to Bingham.
- Bingham had a background as managing editor at The Reporter prior to joining The New Yorker.

McPhee's significant piece involved a journey about oranges.
- Inspired to explore why four oranges might have different names after noticing variations in juice color.
- Encountered the Citrus Experiment Station with many Ph.D. holders and extensive resources on citrus.
- The initial intention was to create a short piece under 10,000 words, but it grew significantly.
- Manuscript initially underwent severe condensation (85% cut) by Bingham, resulting in a shocking thin manuscript returned to McPhee.

Faced with Bingham's cuts, McPhee sought a meeting with Shawn, who was surprised by Bingham's drastic edits.
- Bingham and McPhee discussed which parts to restore; a partial restoration allowed for a serialized publication.

Selection in Writing:
- Emphasizes the writer's right to choose inclusions/exclusions.
- The notion that if something interests the writer, it should be included.
Importance of Growth:
- Projects can evolve beyond initial intent, exemplified with an aircraft observational piece that changed drastically in scope.

Creative nonfiction is characterized not by fabrication, but by maximizing what is at hand.
- McPhee's course at college touches on this, emphasizing the creative aspect within nonfiction writing.

Quotes can capture character voices effectively in writing.
McPhee acknowledges that he knows a potential quote for inclusion as soon as he hears it.

Reflections on the editing process at Time magazine emphasized a similar theme of selection.
Described workflow involving pneumatic tubes for story submissions and extensive revisions.
- Editors would leave their marks, indicating sections of text to condense.
Greening Process:
- The craft of selectively editing to improve readability and flow; removing text that does not serve the piece.
- Practical exercises involved cutting tasks for students while preserving the essence of the writing.

McPhee discusses aesthetic principles underlying writing, such as balance between inclusion and omission.
Draws parallels to both writing and visual arts, citing Michelangelo’s thoughts on sculpting.
Hemingway's Theory of Omission:
- Quotes from Hemingway highlight the importance of leaving certain details unsaid for effect.
- The iceberg metaphor illustrates how leaving out information builds a depth of understanding for the reader.
Emotional Connection:
- Engaging reader imagination by providing a few vivid details to evoke comprehensive imagery; leaving white space for reader interpretation.

Personal anecdotes reflect struggles of what to include/exclude in writing.
- Example from a ride with Louis Marx to meet General Eisenhower illustrates the balance of relevant versus superfluous details.
- Challenges of negotiating which memories enhance or detract from the narrative flow.
Concludes with a personal story of Eisenhower discussing his painting, reinforcing the theme of judicious selection in creative expression.

Writing remains an act of continuous selection, emphasizing the balance of presence and absence across a text.