Don Mager | Philosophy of Web Publishing

Elsewhere I tell my story of involvment with the work of Anna Akhmatova and particularly Poem Without a Hero. Having engaged myself in this project for almost a decade,I have to acknowledge that this work presents barriers to academic publication. I can think of three major barriers.

1. In its current state it is 1500 pages in microsoft size 12 Times New Roman.

2. Although it is thoroughly documented in MLA style, the cross-reference system I developed is unconventional and cumbersome. However, no traditional cross-reference system accomplishes what I beleive is most informative in this case.

3. Desipte extensive training, publications and teaching experience in literature, I am not formally trained as a scholar of Russian literature; in fact I am auto-didact.

Desipite these barriers, I also believe that this project makes a hugely significant contribution to Akhmatova scholarship and deserves to find those fellow admirers of her work and Poem Without a Hero, so that their work can dialogue with mine, and so that current and future readers and scholars can build on this dialogue. Foremost I hope that this work can be found be readers so that their reading pleasure can be significantly enhanced.