Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Is this the promis'd end? or image of that horror?

I think it is done. I think I have finished all that needs doing on my preface, and on correcting the text. Silja Graupe’s The Bashō of Economics will be coming out from Ontos Verlag next month. I think next month. Translated, with a preface, by Roger Gathman. I have seen the cover. I have seen the inner sheets. My preface needs a spot or two of editing, and oh Lord ... through bramble and brier I have finally come out, limping and panting but still alive! I have that Julie Andrews feeling, boys - buy me a fuckin drink!

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring…

Which grim and daring vessel I’m gonna be hyping as soon as it gets out. Tell your Ma, tell your Pa, tell your librarian: the revolution is now!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

LI, congrats on the book, and I do hope someone stood you a drink or two!
hey, might the 'vessel grim and daring' not be inappropriate for a jacket blurb for the book, or the
last line - refrain - from W.'s poem?
just the other night, i read a Basho poem which made me think of the book, a poem which i think does touch on the question of economy:

Don't imitate me;
it's as boring
as the two halves of a melon.

(translated by Robert Hass)

Roger Gathmann said...

Thanks, Amie! And that is quite a nice poem.
I think the drinks are on me. But, at the end of the week, I'm gonna rub my pennies together and get a bottle of Three Philosophers, my fave beer, and lose some brain cells.

it said...

I'd buy you a whole nice bottle of wine, hope you know that.

Well done, Roger. Your linguistic productivity never ceases to amaze and impress me. I'll leave the envy aside for now...

Roger Gathmann said...

It - thanks! I'm pretty sure if I had your schedule, my productivity would be reduced to a few birdish peeps. Hey, I'm glad to see you got out the first of I hope many posts on the accessorized femme topic. Shake things up!

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