the keen pleasure that comes from taking up a text and leaving it tighter, clearer, and more accurate

--- John McIntyre, Copy Editor of the Baltimore Sun, in a profile of him by Richard O'Mara, The Christian Science Monitor July 14, 2008

Quote in context:

“Those who do not edit do not understand the keen pleasure that comes from taking up a text and leaving it tighter, clearer, and more accurate. Working against deadline provides a structure and a stimulus. And it is far from widely understood how smart and funny copy editors are as a group.”