I’m nearly at the point now with my translations that I can start working on the essays that will accompany them. It’s not a moment too soon — I’ve been in a bad mood lately because my projects have been adrift. The Severance project is looking like a lot of work, so I’m avoiding it, and the next Montaigne piece included a good deal of tedious translations in multiple parts. To give an idea of it, I had to find a secondary translation tool for all of the Latin quotes, because Deep-L, the tool I’ve used for the bulk of the translation work, doesn’t do Latin.
But now I’m ready to focus on the project, which is something of an alternative history version of Montaigne. I’m imagining what Volume I of his essays might have looked like if he hadn’t changed his mind about including La Boetie’s Treatise of Involutary Servitude within it. My theory is that putting his friend’s piece right in the center changes the dynamic of the essays and allows readers to uncover various Montaigne opinions about power that could be easily overlooked without this center of gravity.
This will require me to re-examine the Montaigne essays again, but I do not plan to write pieces as long or as in depth as on my original project. These will not be personal essays, rather they will be guides to reading Montaigne a certain way. And I’ll spell out that way in the introduction (which I will probably write last.)
I think this new book will be timely, given the insane power dynamics of the current U.S. administration. One little detail keeps bothering me every time I hear Trump say it. Having worked for a Governor and Mayor, I am used to addressing an elected official properly. You refer to a Governor as Governor, not by their name, and continue to do so even after he or she has left office. You refer to a Mayor as Mayor … or Mister or Madame Mayor, if you prefer. Senator … Congresswoman … Madame Speaker … Mr. President … these are simple, easy titles.
But whenever President Trump refers to a conversation he has with anyone, he has this annoying habit of mimicking back what the person said to him. And never does this person say “Mr. President, please do this …” No. Trump always says “Sir … please keep doing what you are doing” or whatever other stupid self serving thing he feels a need to let out.
But it’s that “Sir” which really bothers me. I can imagine the Chief of Staff telling people before they walk into the office … by the way, the President prefers to be referrred to as “Sir.” As if the Presidency isn’t enough for him, he needs the fake nobility, the kowtowing.
So, maybe this new project with be cathartic. I need it right now.
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