Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 40, No. 63.
        Department of Digital Humanities, University of Cologne
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        Date: 2026-06-19 07:17:30+00:00
        From: Willard McCarty <willard.mccarty@mccarty.org.uk>
        Subject: the never to be forgotten

Marisol de la Cadena and Mario Blaser's wonderful collection of essays,
A World of Many Worlds (Durham NC: Duke University Press), begins with
this description of the event from which its essays emerged:

> It was a long feast for which Mario, Marisol, Joe, Suzana, and
> Cristiana and a wonder group of students met weekly throughout the
> academic year 2012–13, which many of us will never forget. We read
> great work, dined and wined, and talked vibrantly. Our conversations
> were dialogues toward the reconstitution of worlds—the title of
> the seminar that brought us together.

In due course I will have the celebratory privilege of writing an
introduction to a volume likewise originating from an unforgettable
gathering of colleagues. It was a workshop likewise dedicated to
dialogues, ours exploring conversation itself. Like theirs we
participants could say, and many of my colleagues did say, it was the
kind of event that confirms and strengthens the scholarly vocation,
breathes new life into it. Nothing like this workshop in my entire
career--except the four preceding workshops in the same series,
involving many of the same people.

This note was brought to mind by Tim Smithers' response about
programming as a craft that he still practices. Thunderous applause!
But... that 'still' makes the contrary point about the ill-effects of
'trending', which identifies a new 'turn' that leaves whatever older
practice behind, consigns it to the proverbial dustbin of history. I was
recently told by a colleague in effect that codex books were a thing of
the past, and that my insisting on furthering their publication (though 
highly selectively, I must add) I was likewise something of the past. 
How well we have been prepared for such utterances by the doctrine 
of progress.

I am fond of quoting Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides): "Do what you do only
out of love."

Best,
WM
--
Willard McCarty,
Professor em., King's College London;
www.mccarty.org.uk


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