Some random thoughts

Here's a quote from baritone Thomas Hampson, 2010 New Year's interview. The performer is an antenna - bringing a message from the composer. His songs of Aaron Copland were a delight to hear. (example here.) Was it Copland who said, work like a dog so you can get out of the way?

Is this the job of a translator: pick up the message meant to be performed and recreate it for today's ears? Work like a dog so you can get out of the way. Or is it harder - must the translator create the very ear it seeks?

Rise, Peter, kill, and eat

I have been quiet - thinking on all the blogging and also having visitors and working hard. For over a year I have been thinking of this instruction to Peter Rise, Peter, kill, and eat- O how nice it is to have a law to break - and to be invited to break it. I am going to write on it - but still thinking and rereading Tikva Frymer-Kensky, David Novak, Peter Ochs, David Fox Sandmel, Michael A. Signer, Christianity in Jewish Terms. I started with Hoffman and Blumenthal's essays - favorite authors - but the whole set seems quite good on reread - so I hope to write some notes on that too - its all related.

I have been mulling over the blog world - those self-referential posts that Tim began. I think Blogging requires both trust and bravery - many levels of trust on the part of both reader and writer. Some recent items I have read are more traditional in their assumptions than I like. I don't know that I am able to critique the assumptions at this time. One thing I would highlight for me - all writing is a learning process. I often don't know what I think till I see what I said.

Perhaps like Secundus I have a hearing problem... more story later - I will share the intent and outline and I will be very sparing with the things I have already written. The story is intended to be new material.

A Kurt Response

I submitted my 5000 word response to "In these times". Am I a freelance writer or what?
In defence of inerrancy (a form of idolatry) I write this comment:
the letters of fire consume the sacrifice of a broken spirit.
It is enough.
In defence of Papal infallibility (a form of idolatry) I write this comment:
the love of a man covers a multitude of sin.
It is enough.
In defence of Christendom as empire (a form of idolatry) I write this comment:
lust for power like the love of money is the root of all evil.
It is not enough.
Do you teach your kids to love then send them out to kill other kids?

Bated breath

No one ever asked me to write before. But last Thursday, the editor of the Diocesan Post asked me to reduce a 4000 word essay (somewhat rambling) to 2000 words for publication. She also has published a letter of mine on 'the issue' in the same issue.

Do not doubt that I have agonized over this for 50 years.