Derrick Jensen, Engame Vol I: The Problem of Civilisation (Seven Stories Press, 2006), p342:
A few years ago I had an agent at a prestigious literary agency. The agency’s address, if this gives an indication of how fancy schmancy the organisation is, was One Madison Avenue (an entire floor, even!). I sent my agent the first seventy pages of the manuscript for A Language Older Than Words. She read them, then told me that if I cut the family stuff and the social criticism, she thought I’d have a book. She also told me that I was too angry. If I would only tone down the book and not frighten fence-sitters, she said, I’d have myself a bestseller.
I was shocked. I was of course familiar with the old artistic/literary line, “The devil comes promising a larger audience,” but it never occurred to me I’d have the chance to sell out this early in my career.
I responded that there was an old blues DJ I liked to listen to who often said after spinning a song, “If you’re not moving after that one, you’re dead from the butt down.” Well, I said, if you’re not angry and frightened now, after everything this culture has done, you’re dead from the heart out.
… We had this conversation the same day U.S.-backed troops massacred the MRTA [Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement] members who had taken over the Japanese ambassador’s house in Peru. I said to her, “If the MRTA members are going to give their lives, the least I can do is tell the truth. You’re fired.”