Scott Level 03
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Posts by Scott

    Well, this Jeff fellow DOES leave open the door to not requiring a publisher in order to make this happen. UofM Press might just print it themselves. We don't have any interest in making $ off of this venture, we just want the book to exist. But we do need someone to present a proposal for printing off a few copies. I might even try to do that, but do you think Elli, or whoever you have as contacts in Greece, would consider helping out at all? Not to FUND it or anything, just to present their desire and ability to do the translation part. If we don't have anyone willing to actually go after the translation, there is no point working on this!

    I received this response from U of Minnesota Press:

    On Thursday, May 12th, 2022 at 12:29 PM, Jeffery Moen <moenx017@umn.edu> wrote:

    Hello,


    Your request has been passed along to me.


    Typically, we work directly with the publisher of the translation, but if that doesn’t apply in this case, then I would need more information about what you intend to do with the translation in terms of distribution, sale, and formats (would you produce a hard copy of the translation, and if so, how many copies would be printed and would it be intended for sale, or would distribution be online?).


    Please provide more detailed information and your request will be taken into consideration.


    All best,


    Jeff Moen

    Rights and Contracts

    University of Minnesota Press

    www.upress.umn.edu


    From: SLH <SLHenderson@pm.me>
    Subject: How can translation permissions be obtained for a book you have published



    Date: May 5, 2022 at 11:21:50 PM CDT



    To: "ump@umn.edu" <ump@umn.edu>



    Reply-To: SLH <SLHenderson@pm.me>



    Hello! I'm a member of an online group studying Epicurean philosophy. Certain
    members of this group are interested in learning how one would go about
    obtaining permission to translate this book into Greek:

    Title: Epicurus and His Philosophy

    Author: Norman Wentworth Dewitt

    ISBN: 9780816662128

    "Related ISBN": 9780816657452

    (I don't know the difference between these 2 ISBN numbers)

    Please let me know of any questions you might have about this. Any assistance greatly appreciated!



    Scott Henderson

    Tucson, Arizona



    ********************

    Susan Doerr
    Associate Director | University of Minnesota Press | upress.umn.edu

    612-301-1987 | doer0012@umn.edu

    @susanmpls
    she, her, hers


    University of Minnesota Press Code of Conduct z.umn.edu/umpconduct


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Who would be able to respond to the questions posed by Jeffery Moen, in the above email?


    -Scott



    The rather obvious intent of Derek Walcott in this little poem is to address a particular life situation, but to me the meaning of it is able to easily expand and accommodate the many things that can absorb us and mis-lead us from ourselves and our true happiness. It just jumped out at me that it could be well used by Epicureans, as a comforting narrative on overcoming the ravages of idealist perspectives.

    ABC Clio directed me to University of Minnesota Pres for help with how to go about getting rights to translate this work. But they also said usually it is a publisher who requests this. Elli and/or Haris Dimitriadis and/or other Epicureans in Greece might want to try to engage some publisher there who might be willing to help out?

    Greenwood Publishing Group Inc. reprinted the book in 1976 and is listed (in the Copyright Clearance Center and elsewhere) as one of two listed publishers of the book, along with University of Minnesota Press, who of course did the original printing.


    Greenwood's parent company is ABC Clio. Contact info listed for them on their web page:


    CustomerService@ABC-Clio.com


    ABC-Clio

    147 Castillion Drive

    Santa Barbara CA 93117


    800-368-6868 or 805-968-1911 (open 7-4:30 Pacific)



    I'm emailing ABC-Clio to see if they can tell me if and how one might obtain permission to translate.

    OK first, confirmation of what Joshua said, Dewitt being the claimant for the 1981 renewal:

    Dewitt is listed as the copyright claimant. As he died in 1958, and his Classicist son died in 1981 [edit: 1966], it is not immediately clear who filed the renewal notice.

    ...from the US copyright office:


    ------- Original Message -------

    On Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022 at 7:50 PM, <no-reply@loc.gov> wrote:


    > Type of Work: Text

    >

    > Registration Number / Date:

    > RE0000141545 / 1982-11-01

    > Renewal registration for: A00000127469 / 1954-02-15

    >

    > Title: Epicurus and his philosophy. By Norman Wentworth DeWitt.

    >

    > Copyright Claimant:

    > Norman W. DeWitt (C)

    >

    > Variant title: Epicurus and his philosophy.

    >

    > Names: DeWitt, Norman Wentworth

    > DeWitt, Norman W.

    >

    >

    > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    > The Library of Congress

    > United States Copyright Office

    > 101 Independence Ave., S.E.

    > Washington, D.C. 20559-6000

    > 202-707-3000

    Welcome reneliza ! Always glad to have new peeps join us! Much interesting stuff here, just have a look around! You will encounter very knowledgeable scholarly folks, and people more like me - just beginners, learning the basics. It is a most enjoyable philosophy to study. See you around!


    Scott

    Welcome, Modecs ! Glad to have you here. I hope you enjoy learning about this most interesting and insightful philosophy, and sharing your thoughts with a really super group of folks!


    Scott
    :)

    I get what you mean, Nate . It's a bit flowery. Too bad the lead singer seems to have had a cold at the time of recording. But anyway, a sweet little go-to-sleep kind of tune. Probably more effective than ASMR, although some in the EF will criticize such an emphasis on Tranquility.


    In case there is any difficulty understanding the words, here they are below. Obviously the Epicurean point is "what is good is easy to obtain" ...or maybe "life is a cabaret!" ? ...or is it perhaps something completely else, like "Trying to enjoy life is ultimately A TOTAL WASTE OF F***ING TIME!!!".


    I'm betting Joshua can interpret it. Uplifting stuff in any case:



    The Gods of Epicurus, lyrics


    “I am born from one-sided sacrifice

    I am born from miscommunication

    Piece me together from your broken spirits

    Only to receive a whole less than its parts.”

    As the Law commands you, “Enjoy,” the Commodity demands:

    “Piece me together, exhaust your spirit

    Pour it into me, expect nothing back

    My blood is a failing comparison

    And I can't save you from this hell you're in

    I dwell in the pores of the merely existing

    While you're sadly subsisting in its reflection

    I am not a happy consciousness. I am not alive

    Sell your soul for my being’s sake

    Your condition will become my existing.”

    Fetishized fragments of life promise nothing

    They voicelessly respond, “I am your death


    “I return nothing compared to what you sacrifice

    I am unrequited love, I am less than my parts

    Reflect back at a loss, turn yourself into stone for me.”

    A desire born from the void

    Between your mind and its Being

    Its demand is silently screaming

    “I’ll take you down with me

    I’ll take you down to behold

    Behold the spectacle of imaginary life

    I become myth, myth becomes life

    Life becomes being-towards-death.”