Q. How long was this project in gestation? Having done this sort of editing for Cambridge commentaries I know that the more essays involved, the harder it becomes to get all the essay writers to meet the deadlines.
A. We started moving forward with real intent in the Spring of 2017 — when we reached out to a number of scholars, giving them the vision for the volume and proposing that they join the project by writing a specific essay for it. Six-and-a-half years later, the volume’s official publication date is November 2023. Of course, the COVID pandemic slowed things down along the way and affected things here or there, but it was a case of slow-but-steady progress. Having terrific contributors and an excellent co-editor made the process enjoyable, and along the way I learned a lot from the first-rate contributors.