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Unread 05-25-2010, 09:38 PM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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As many of you know, Alan Sullivan has leukemia and lymphoma and is pretty desperately ill. For the past thirteen months, as an offering of thanks to God, he has devoted himself to translating the 78 Psalms the Jews attribute to King David. He has been ably assisted by our own resident scholar in Classical Hebrew, Seree Zohar. Speaking as an active and avid church lector, I regard this as a very big deal, for I am extremely unhappy with every English translation on offer. Recently I began seeking ecclesiastical permission to begin reading the new translations at Mass, and I was very fortunate in finding an extremely learned monsignor who actually holds the title Censor Librorum, meaning he can approve the nihil obstat which is the prerequisite to the imprimatur. I am pleased to say that he is excited with Alan's and Seree's work, and I shall begin reading them in church. Print publication will debut at First Things, and I hope, at several other journals thereafter.

Some months ago I announced that Able Muse Press would be bringing out Hunter's Log, my collection of twenty years' hunting poems, but that won't be happening. I had approached the ND Humanities Council to serve as a tax deductible vehicle for friends to help Alex fund the book, and they have asked me instead to publish with the Dakota Institute. The Institute is run by Clay Jenkinson, a remarkable humanities scholar and entrepeneur who broadcasts The Jefferson Hour on public radio. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_S._Jenkinson Clay has approached me and is seeking an agreement on the publication of six books I have completed or which are nearing completion. He also intends to produce a film, a snuff film! of my hunting buddy Steve and me and our redoubtable dogs harvesting pheasants as I grin into the camera and recite the hunting poems. Steve and I are both Jeffersonians, and for years we have listened to Clay impersonate the third president at eleven o-clock Saturdays on the truck radio. He is really a hero to us, and we are going to have a lot of fun working together. It is with deep regret that I am bailing out on Alex, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 04:36 AM
Jim Hayes Jim Hayes is offline
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Warmest congratulations to both Alan and you Tim, Alan's work is one of serious scholarship and will make a fitting and permanent memorial.

I'm certain Alex will rejoice, as indeed all here undoubtedly do, in deserved further recognition of your own work

Well done on all fronts.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 06:42 AM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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Thanks, Jamie. Alex could not have been more gracious. Anyone wishing to look in on the psalm project can do so at these pages:
http://www.seablogger.com/?cat=23

I traveled to Fort Lauderdale for the Octave of Easter and read the new versions for ten days at Church of the Little Flower. I received very positive reactions from the congregation. When Alan started this on Easter 2009, he was given only a couple months to live, and I believe this challenge has kept him alive. It's been a real inspiration to me to watch how hard he and Seree have worked.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 09:37 AM
Susan McLean Susan McLean is offline
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Congratulations to Tim, Alan, and Seree for some well-deserved recognition.

Susan
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Unread 05-26-2010, 03:15 PM
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Rick Mullin Rick Mullin is offline
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Tim, this is great and great big news for all involved. Congrats.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 03:27 PM
Paul Lake Paul Lake is offline
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Great news, Tim. I've been watching you prolifically write poems these last few years, wondering if they'd find permanent homes in volumes someday. Great to hear that your poems will be gathered up and published.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 03:35 PM
David Rosenthal David Rosenthal is offline
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Congratulations, Tim and Alan, and Seree.

David R.
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Unread 05-26-2010, 03:38 PM
David Anthony David Anthony is offline
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Tim,
Nobody can produce six books of good poems, Shakespeare excepted.
Why don't you produce one book of your best poems? It will be a more lasting legacy.
Then get the publisher to allocate the promotional budget for six books to just the one.
Best,
David
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Unread 05-27-2010, 12:53 PM
Tim Murphy Tim Murphy is offline
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David, one book is memoir in verse and prose. Two books are special interest collections, one for hunting, one for devotional poems. There are actually three broader collections, two of which will appear together between covers and run about 160 pages. As for nobody being able to write six good books, I can name lots of poets!
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Unread 05-27-2010, 03:12 PM
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Gail White Gail White is offline
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Wonderful news, and encouraging to those of us who are still waiting
to be discovered!
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