“Paradise Lost” in Prose?

New York Times Blogger Stanley Fish today writes about a new translation of Milton’s “Paradise Lost” into English prose.  What? Fish quotes the translator Dennis Danielson, a distinguished Miltonist, who is well aware that it might seem odd to translate a poem into the language in which it is already written. Fish writes

The value of his edition, he says, is that it “invites more readers than ever before to enjoy the magnificent story — to experience the grandeur, heroism, pathos, beauty and grace of Milton’s inimitable work.”

I have not yet seen the new translation, but it strikes me as similar to an exercise done by the editors of the United Church of Christ’s The New Century Hymnal, created in the mid-’90s, in which archaic language was updated (no more “thou”, “thee”); no sexist language (God is only referred to in gender-neutral terms; The Christ has no gender, although Jesus the human being can be referred to as male); no “imperialist” language (the word “Lord” is suspect, although it slips in from time to time); no racist language (the words to black spirituals are revised to standard English: “I ain’t got long to stay here” becomes “I don’t have long to stay here.”); Heaven is no longer above (since God surrounds us).  It is politically correct–and admirable in composing new hymn texts–but practically quite silly and irritating to many church-goers, especially when many familiar hymns have been tinkered with.  I have always found it condescending that the editors felt that church-goers are unable to distinguish between current language and archaic language.  How does updating master poets (Christina Rosetti; John Greenleaf Whittier) improve them?

The new Milton translation may be most effective as a teaching “crib” for undergraduates who might have to work harder to understand Milton’s syntax.

Twenty-five years at Euclid Avenue Congregational Church

On Sunday, November 2, 2008, I celebrated twenty-five years as Director of Music at Euclid Avenue Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ, in Cleveland, Ohio.  I began there (as Interim Director) on November 1, 1983.  During that time I have survived three permanent ministers, at least that many interim ministers, associate pastors, directors of Christian Education, secretaries, and custodians.  What better way to celebrate than to give a recital?  You can download the program. (PDF).  (Audio samples forthcoming)

The church publicity committee did a good job of getting the word out, and there were between 75 and 100 people present, including  a fair number that I didn’t recognize, and some friends whom I would not have expected to see.

I am never fully satisfied with my own playing, but it went reasonably well.  There are always things to improve.  George turned pages for me and pulled stops in several of the pieces, especially the Messiaen “Apparition”. It is (I think) more nerve-wracking to turn pages and pull stops than it is to perform.  But he was very confident and things came off without a hitch.

After the concert there was a lovely reception in the church parlor, with spoken tributes by several people.  I am pleased to say that the church is taking up an “anniversary collection” on my behalf that will be used for scholarships for persons wishing to study organ.  It is a wonderful idea–much better than a gift to me; I have more than enough of my own.  The church also commissioned a quite amusing iron sculpture that is a caricature of me playing the organ and conducting at the same time.  Everyone should have a statue!  I may not have an Oscar, but I still have a statue.

The Catastrophe Only Gets Worse and What You Can Do

We have all watched over the past five days as the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina has unfolded, each day getting worse. Today it appears that civil society in New Orleans has unraveled, with snipers preventing the evacuation of a hospital and corpses rotting on the street. The situation becomes every day more like an apocalyptic science fiction movie (think “Mad Max”), and is clearly now a disaster of race and class. The people who are left in New Orleans are overwhelmingly black and poor. Anyone with money and/or connections is gone. There is as yet no effective response from the federal government (yet George W. Bush will have a photo op in New Orleans today to “show solidarity.”) Skip the pics, Mr. President, and get the troops in.

The pictures of the people with either nothing but the clothes on their backs or small plastic bags carrying the remnants of their earthly possessions prompted me to think (in my very middle class way) of what I would take if I had 90 minutes to get out of my house: my checkbook, a laptop computer and charger, my passport for ID, perhaps the statement of my retirement account, some family photos.

Today I have made two monetary donations as a small part of the relief effort: to the American Red Cross and to the National Disaster Fund of the United Church of Christ, of which denomination I am a member. The UCC site also has a mechanism to register as a potential volunteer in the future to help with rebuilding (volunteers are not wanted or needed right at the present). Please, if you are reading this, consider making a donation to either the Red Cross or a relief charity of your own choosing.