Creation Science
A Fiction project in Vineyard Haven, MA by John Sundman ·
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Update #5: Saint Jerome in his Study
Posted on November 2, 2009
The image of the bearded old dude with his hand on a skull on the Creation Science project page is from a post card depicting the painting Saint Jerome in his Study, ca. 1521, attributed to Joos Van Cleve the Elder. The painting is in the Busch-Reisinger Museum at Harvard University, and the post card is in my private collection.
As the internet tells us, Saint Jerome
Jerome spent the last half of his life rendering the Scriptures into the contemporary Latin of his day. Since Latin was at that time, the common or “vulgar” tongue, his translation was called the “Latin Vulgate.” [. . .] Because Jerome was able to work from Greek texts that were already considered ancient in his own day — and that have since been lost — his Latin translation remains of inestimable value to biblical scholars. He also translated the Old Testament from the Greek Septuagint into Latin, as well as making another translation of the Old Testament directly from Hebrew and Aramaic.
So, Jerome was responsible for much of Western Civilization. I think that's cool. Also, he pondered deeply the perplexities of translation. That's cool too.
Those two facts probably explain why the subject "Saint Jerome in his Study" was such a popular subject for painters during the Renaissance.
Those facts don't explain, however, the composition of this magical painting, a painting before which I have personally stood transfixed for long periods. (I once stared at it for nearly an hour). To me, the painting perfectly captures the essence of deep contemplation about What the Heck Is Going On???. He's got one hand on some dead dude's temple, his other hand is touching the matching place on his own skull, he's got the assembled wisdom of the known world surrounding him, and on the wall behind him a little scroll that says "Final Rest." And he's thinking, "Hunh? What? What the. . . what the heck. . . what the. . . I don't. . . I don't *get* it."
He's my hero.
I first became acquainted with this painting when an old girlfriend of mine, a fiancee, in fact, someone I dearly loved who has since faded out of my life, sent me a post card of it with the unsigned inscription in her unmistakable and elegant hand
Everybody's got something to hide except for me and my monkey
the source of which quotation is left as an exercise for the reader.
If you ever find yourself in Cambridge, Massachusetts, do yourself a favor and go see this painting.
Meanwhile, as we close in our initial goal of $5k for this project, I thank all my backers for your support, and I ask all readers, whether you've financially backed me or not, to continue to spread the word on this project. I obviously will need more than $5k to live on during the time it will take me to finish writing this novel, and it will cost $$ to print it too.
We have, last I looked, 67 backers.
If we had, for example, 6700 backers, with 6,633 of them at the $1 level, not only would I have a much nicer cushion, but I could probably parlay that number into a book deal with a "real" publisher. I thank you in advance for your continued help in spreading the word.
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on November 17, 2009.
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HEY TANKS. You will get to say "Thank you for making your other three books available for free, but here's two bucks anyway!" and I will say, "Hey, thanks!" Plus, you'll get to read my blog posts here & monitor developments on the new book.
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DIGIBOOK. You get a nice digital version of Creation Science (PDF) as soon as it's done. Plus access to the project blog, etc.
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BOOK BOOK. A nifty printed & bound copy of Creation Science. (Shipping included in USA.) Plus DIGIBOOK. Please add $2 for personalized inscription.
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ONE AND ONE. One of Acts of the Apostles, Cheap Complex Devices or The Pains shipped to you when this project has been funded, and Creation Science when it's done. (Shipping included in USA). I have lots of Pains, fewer of Acts and CCD. First come, first served. Please add $3 for personalized inscriptions in each book.
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THE OUEVRE. One copy each of Acts of the Apostles, Cheap Complex Devices, and The Pains shipped to you when this project has been funded, and Creation Science when it's done (Shipping included in USA). Please add $5 for personalized inscriptions in all four books.
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POSTER PACK. Four copies of Creation Science inscribed any way you like, plus a signed poster of the book cover art. Size of poster and artist TBD, but you'll like it, I promise.
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PATRON. You get 1 Poster Pack, plus, I thank you profusely in the acknowledgments. Plus, if you like, you can see all early drafts and watch the book develop and offer suggestions.
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COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Acts of the Apostles). You get 1 Patron Pack, plus, a souvenir pack of nifty stuff from my Acts of the Apostles archives, including my original notebooks, copies of correspondence with my agent, dozens of rejection letters from New York publishing houses, one-of-a-kind mockups, etc. After Creation Science has outsold Harry Potter, you'll be able to sell this on Ebay for a fortune.
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COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Cheap Complex Devices). You get 1 Patron Pack, plus, a souvenir pack of nifty stuff from my CCD archives, including my original notebooks, one-of-a-kind mockups, etc. After Creation Science has outsold Harry Potter, you'll be able to sell this on Ebay for a fortune.
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COLLECTOR'S EDITION (The Pains). You get 1 Patron Pack, plus, a souvenir pack of nifty stuff from my Pains archives, including my original notebooks, copies of correspondence with the illustrator Cheeseburger Brown, one-of-a-kind mockups, etc. After Creation Science has outsold Harry Potter, you'll be able to sell this on Ebay for a fortune.
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COLLECTOR'S EDITION (Creation Science). You get 1 Patron Pack, plus, a souvenir pack of nifty stuff from my Creation Science archives, including my original notebooks, copies of correspondence with my editor, one-of-a-kind mockups, etc. After Creation Science has outsold Harry Potter, you'll be able to sell this on Ebay for a fortune.
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MARTHA'S VINEYARD RETREAT. You and a friend can be my guest for a weekend next spring or summer at my house on Martha's Vineyard. Join me and my wife for three days and two nights at our tiny but friendly house in Vineyard Haven. You'll stay in our guest room; we'll provide breakfast, give you a guided tour of the island, lend you one of our cars for up to five hours, let you borrow our bikes, and you'll be the guest of honor at a dinner party for which Dear Wife Betty will prepare a meal of at least 5 courses. Includes one PATRON PACK.
Project By
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I'm the author of the novels Acts of the Apostles, Cheap Complex Devices, and The Pains, all of which can be downloaded for free from wetmachine.com. I've also written a bunch of award-winning essays for Salon.
I've done famine relief & agricultural development work in west Africa (5 years), have spent 22 of the last 30 years in high tech (Silicon Valley & Boston areas), the other 8 years as truck driver, construction laborer, and novelist. I volunteer at a food pantry that my wife founded & runs, and I'm a volunteer firefighter.
