(Fwd) RE: HDAS

[GEORGE THOMPSON]

Robert Felton wrote to me, regarding the HDAS: "Does anybody (anyone?
... whichever) know the publishing schedule?"

I replied to him thus:

        "It seems to be in a state of permanent suspension, since evidently
that disreputable publishing house and its ultimate owners, whoever
and whereever they are, refuse to invest in completing the project,
and they are barred from raising money from foundations to complete
it, by the fact that they are a relentlessly for-profit business.
You saw the message from the publisher yesterday, to which I
responded, directly to him, that I still stood by the phrase
"disreputable publishing house".  And will continue to stand by it,
and indeed to insist upon it.

        "Only if we make clear that we who are the purchasers and users of
that dictionary will continue to regard its publisher as a disreputable
publishing house until the project in completed will it in fact be
completed."

        Indeed, I think I am going to make the non-appearance of vol. 3 of
HDAS my own obsessive crusade, and will stay on that disreputable
publishing house like ugly on an ape until it appears.  William
Safire only thinks he's getting his balls busted here.  He doesn't
know.

GAT