Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00847)

Carlos,

You write:

========================================================
John Algeo published false slandering texts as if they were HPB 
originals.

You helped him doing that.

You created that kind of "editorial policy". Got it now?
==========================================================

Now Carlos when you write of "false slandering texts as if they were 
HPB originals", I assume that you are referring to HPB's supposed 
letters to Aksakoff that are found in Solovyoff's book.

Right?

If so, then readers should know that such writers as Sylvia Cranston, 
Michael Gomes and Boris de Ziroff in their books have ALSO quoted 
from these supposed HPB letters to Aksakoff.

And these three writers do NOT warn their readers that these letters 
may contain "false slandering texts".  Because of their quoting of 
passages from HPB letters to Aksakoff, readers of their volumes may 
get the impression that the letters are genuine and even go to the 
Solovyoff volume for more extracts! 

It would be interesting to know what Cranston, de Zirkoff and Gomes 
thought about your claim that these are "false slandering texts".  Of 
course Cranston and de Zirkoff are dead, but Michael Gomes is alive 
and well in New York City.  Maybe you should write to him and see if 
he will give his considered opinion about these Aksakoff letters.

I was hoping he would have written to FOHAT when this controversy 
first came up and give his considered opinion.  Maybe he didn't want 
to be involved in all the excitement and controversy that you and 
Bruce stirred up with all your "ad hominem" accusations.

Furthermore, I was NOT the editor of this volume of HPB's letters.
The titlepage reads:  Edited by John Algeo.

Yes, I was a member of the Editorial Committee who assisted Dr. Algeo.
but as far as I know, I had nothing to do with creating "that kind 
of 'editorial policy'".  Whatever you might mean by "editorial 
policy."

As I have repeatedly said on Theos-Talk, I originally was giving 
input and assistance to John Cooper who was at that time the editor 
of the HPB Letters volumes.

I never once discussed with Cooper his editorial policy.  I merely 
gave commentary on various historical items, etc. etc.  Suggesting 
where he might find other HPB letters, etc. etc.  And sending him a 
few that I had discovered. etc. etc.

It is my understanding that starting with Boris de Zirkoff that 
the "editorial policy" was to include such letters as the letters to 
Aksakoff.  John Cooper accepted this policy AS WITNESS these Aksakoff 
letters are in his thesis at the University of Sydney and in his 
manuscript to TPH.  It would appear that Dr. Algeo simply continued 
to follow that policy of de Zirkoff and Cooper.

When John Cooper died, I gave to Algeo the input on various 
historical items, bibliographical references, etc. that I had given 
Cooper.

It is interesting that in all of your emails about the editorial 
committee on the HPB letters, that you make statements many of which 
are plainly wrong and others that I have no idea whether they are 
true or not.  And I was on the committee!  Where do you get your info 
from??

You give the appearance that you know how this committee worked and 
you weren't even on it!

Is this also how you reconstruct Theosophical history?  The 
implications are scary.....  :)

Daniel