[KS] Song of Ariran

[Frank Hoffmann]

Thanks for putting that out there, Brother Anthony.
The book was so amazingly popular -- for a reason -- that the 
decision of the U of Washington Press surprises me. Especially 
irritating as the planned edition would have come with new 
annotations. In the past 25 years South Korean, Japanese, and 
Korean-Chinese scholars have produced a whole lot of studies that 
relate to Kim San (alias Chang Chi-rak) and the Ariran book. Maybe 
someone should sponsor/organize a conference that circles around the 
book and his hero and the author -- and republish the book together 
with conference papers. IT WOULD BE WORTH THE EFFORT. There are just 
soooo many connections to me made: the main figure and his story and 
groups around him really involves far more than 'just' his story.

There are, by the way, several Korean and Japanese translations, and 
the studies that relate to the book would easily fill several Ikea 
shelves.

Listen, University Press of Washington Press, you should really 
publish this and not loose out on all the fortunes that it will bring 
you to then publish less popular titles!


Best,
Frank