Project Status

Friends - where am I?  It has been over a month since I reported in on the big project: to produce the book that I wanted to have when I began learning the Hebrew of the Psalms. The project is continuing. I am working towards a book in shades of grey instead of colour. 450-500 pages is too much for colour printing.  So I have changed the way I display tables of keywords and added borders to allow easier perception on the vertical dimension of the apparatus.

Book 3 is submitted to one Hebrew academic expert who has already been a great help. Book 2 is submitted to another with a ready-red-pencil. I will be submitting the other books to some more of my PhD friends, but those who have volunteered are first philosophers and discourse analysts. I am short of Hebrew readers. Any of you academics who would like to may volunteer to review a draft of Book 4 or Book 5 (or everything). Book 1 is under the editing eye of my wife. She didn't exactly say she was enjoying it - but her criticism of gloss and grammar is important. Over the next 6 months, she plans to do 10 psalms a week - that's 260 altogether :).

I am targeting a publication date of March 2013, ready for a semi-planned trip - who knows with a printer in every location for instant book production.

Volunteer readers - you will enjoy the reading - guaranteed. Because the Hebrew and English are cheek by jowl and the apparatus is so revealing of the text, the units are really fun to look at. I have been reading other translations that do not have the Hebrew beside them. There is no comparison. For a close reading, the di-glot is a much happier experience, even if there is a mistake in form or judgment in the translation.

Here's why I need help:

1. I am still only six years old 
2. The notes need purging of my subjective comments (sometimes)
3. Notes and translation were done over a five year period. Bayard's virtual library becomes a factor in my own memory. Sometimes the notes reflect an earlier stage of the translation.
4. My translations contain blunders worth finding even for the humour. Bob - you can't say it that way!

I am not reading as much or blogging as much these days. I am experimenting with page layout - but last night at Bible study, I noted that my Hebrew reading is not as awkward as it was 6 months ago. After a while, maybe it improves by itself.

I am maintaining the text in database and private blog, thence to Word and PDF one psalm at a time. It's a juggling act, but the control over the changes that is possible with the database is a vital ingredient in staying sane.