From matt.mattarn@gmail.com Sat Sep 12 00:42:42 2009 Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list llg-members); Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:42:43 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mail-yw0-f204.google.com ([209.85.211.204]) by chain.digitalkingdom.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1MmNFm-0007WN-3f for llg-members@lojban.org; Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:42:42 -0700 Received: by ywh42 with SMTP id 42so2671809ywh.30 for ; Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:42:31 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=etYYj0u8caGu2EUp1nPU99J7VE3FBKKHQf6kPliPz8A=; b=l3beGbG5wNmEeVa/rjL8B0O/zveP+kEQ7LBCVvV8HAVyHEuV6KN9FVLo96jH81krti x+cZthtzAU6nHVHn1WWY7QYK2x5Xgt4pHsyzUR+BPCdgiMLoUumx5PNqfYjFwnzdtr8m KOPgo2evdqBQWbS+N7tfCneM4ogFy46yycmIo= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=SYnX660Iv5Qk9iA/mU4p7DtN/TVbsWGA5OYsjpx5tNLLzOl68XOsiRBwqTS+lzp9ik +yQIsjO+1P6svS6FFwZb6P3h9njisuzNUJQIIfH8eYtoXQ26zJBQqz6Gt4DQ+siLUk4m h2fCC29mnMGkunOaHIfdcMiG/a0JxxpqR0US0= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.150.89.2 with SMTP id m2mr6341741ybb.73.1252741350786; Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:42:30 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <4AAB065C.50103@lojban.org> References: <4AAB065C.50103@lojban.org> Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:42:30 -0400 Message-ID: Subject: [llg-members] Re: [llg-board] [Fwd: Question about publishing in Lojban] From: Matt Arnold To: frankroger@scarlet.be Cc: llg-members@lojban.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by Ecartis X-archive-position: 820 X-ecartis-version: Ecartis v1.0.0 Sender: llg-members-bounce@lojban.org Errors-to: llg-members-bounce@lojban.org X-original-sender: matt.mattarn@gmail.com Precedence: bulk Reply-to: llg-members@lojban.org X-list: llg-members Hi, Frank! Thanks for writing. I'm sure I speak for all of us in the Logical Language Group when I say we're very pleased by your interest. To answer your questions: publishing in Lojban is rare. Alice in Wonderland was one of the first works to be translated. Robin Lee Powell wrote a horror novel in Lojban. Occasionally there will be a comic strip or a recording of a conversation. Other than that, we have a few significant translation projects on our wiki, gradually completing in a collaborative effort over years, with minimal work. We could probably finish them in a matter of weeks if we put our backs to it, but work, medical situations, relationships, and school often interfere with hobbies. Rather than translation, the main bulk of Lojbanic work currently goes into making rulings on edge cases, and removing ambiguity from the most obscure corners of Lojban's grammar. There is also a lot of work on inventing new vocabulary, which is important since so many of our favorite works of literature contain jargon. Don't get me wrong-- the language structure is definitely specified enough to translate most things, and we have one of the largest vocabularies of any artificial language. But Lojbanists tend to be perfectionists. If "good enough for utility" were all they required to call it ready... well, it would lose what attracted many of them. I would not rule out the possibility that someone will translate one of your works into Lojban someday, if they like it. Ideally, the selected story would be free of jargon, idiom, content that needs a cultural context to be understood, or stylized uses of language for humor or pronunciation-dependent effect. But for the foreseeable future, I am sure that the workforce to translate is not available. I'm sorry about that, and I hope you'll keep your eye on Lojban anyway, or even learn it for yourself. On a final note, thank you for inspiring me to look again at my unfinished translation of Kahlil Gibran's "The Prophet". I would be happy to answer any questions you may have! Sincerely, Matt Arnold President, Logical Language Group > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: "Frank Roger" > To:  > Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:35:34 +0200 > Subject: Question about publishing in Lojban > > Dear Mr LeChevalier, > > I'm a linguist and a writer of short stories (mainly sf and fantasy, often > with satiric elements) from Belgium, writing in several languages including > English. So far I've had many stories published in 30 languages (including > Esperanto, Volapük and Glosa), with work accepted in yet more languages. > > I would like to know if there is any publishing in Lojban (in print or > electronic), and if there would be an interest for stories of mine in Lojban > translation. As a linguist, and as a writer keen on being published in an > increasing number of languages, publications in new, obscure and/or > constructed languages hold a special attraction to me. > > Could I submit short stories in English to anyone for publication in Lojban > translation? > > Hoping to hear from you soon, > > Frank Roger > > Ghent, Belgium > > www.frankroger.be > >