Persian Realm

bruce

i understand your point. i am sure you agree that there is room for both tracks, the wiki/internet track, AND the university (also a form of virtual reality) and popular in-the-flesh education and practical tracks.

i for one would learn and know a lot less without the aid of enc.iran. online, and without iranian.com, etc.

at the same time, if specialists will not be groomed, university departments, sunday schools, international conferences, archeological digs, translation projects, live perfomances etc. will not be promoted and sponsored, the culture may be recorded online in a freezeframe but will grow only in that one mode, without its complementary dimensions of research, critical analysis, praxis, and education in a live setting.

Valid Points Bruce !

Agreed !

Sad But True ...Such a vast amount of information needs to be put online. Although I believe that Iranica was indeed planning to do that at some point. Personally I don't have enough information in this regard.

Encyclopedias are out. Wikipedias are in.

Nothing against the good Dr's efforts, but passion can often be obsession in disguise. Clearly Yarshater is one or the other. I would however suggest that the work be published in a Wiki format so that reasonable analysis by ALL experts (not the ones selectively vetted by Iranica) can be allowed to review and if necessary dispute the history of Iran that is being published or selectively presented to Iranians. Keeping this work secret and mysteriously incomplete while racking up tremendous fund raising for it, smells funny. Open up the project via Wiki and let's get on with it. Neither Dr. Y nor we have much time left.

and poetic vision

to quote a part of dk's favourite quotation: "a country that loses its poetic vision is a country that faces death".

i am sure if one looks not only in us ivy league, but deep within iran today there are mentors and figures and practitioners of culture whom yarshater could recruit to inspire and groom a new generation of academics to continue this labour of love as ben ross aptly  calls it.

here iranian studies are losing university backing. i got an email last week that the expert on elamite and old persian is retiring and because of admin. considerations, next year is the last year these courses will be taught anywhere in the country -- at his home. this at a time when there is a growing thirst locally to study the languages and culture.

I heard one of the major

I heard one of the major problems of the project -beside the usual financial one- is that Yaarshaater can not find a vastly knowledgeable and prolific person like himself to carry on the torch... and love.

stuck on the beginning of the letter I, and going strong!

in our library, the volume of beginning of letter i, before 'iskandar', but amazing nevertheless. thanks for letting me know the online version is further ahead. top quality encyclopedias take time to ripen. yarshater has spearheaded many other amazing projects,that even amateurs such as myself have come upon, e.g. the translation of tabari's history with annotations and intros (as well as the middle persian dictionary project, if i am not mistaken).

Thanks for this post.

Thanks for this post kako.

We plan to honor Dr. Yarshater next year and present him with the achievement Award.

Isn't Iranica stuck on the

Isn't Iranica stuck on the letter "L"? (I haven't checked lately)

............

Ditto benross

Encyclopedia Iranica will remain a masterpiece of a few

dedicated lovers of Iranian culture like Prof. Yarshater (//www.iranica.com/).  Thanks Doc.

Editorial Staff: //www.iranica.com/pages/editors

Donations: //www.iranica.com/pages/donate

The true meaning of 'labour of love'

Thanks DK.