My previous blog post was 320 days ago on 4th February 2021. Not good for what started out as a weekly blog back in January 2018! It seems to be the case that many projects fizzle out after three years, so has this been just one of those casualties of waning interest and meandering commitment?

The reason for my silence is easy enough to explain: I contracted COVID-19 rather badly in mid-February, followed by months of long-Covid difficulties. I’m still not back to full strength and need to pace myself carefully. So my priority this year has been my health and my family. I haven’t felt ready to restart my writing output again.

Meanwhile, this year has seen over 4,000 hits on the site, and half of those were for my 2020 article First Father of Music. Is it a little ironic that by far the most popular thing I’ve written is about music rather than noise? Ha!

However, I have been very productive input-wise during these months. I’ve read a load of books, read or skimmed more than a thousand journal articles, and spent countless hours in contemplation. And I have made lots of fragmentary notes along the way. All of this has been oriented to laying the groundwork for my 2022-and-beyond bookwriting plans. 

Before I started this blog, I wanted to write a book on a theology of noise. The blog was always intended as a stepping-stone towards that goal, a place to begin articulating and sharing some of my ideas.

When I was hit by illness earlier this year I faced some very dark days indeed, and even wondered whether I would make it through at all. I realised that the book(s) I want to write need to materialise sooner rather than later, and that they must take precedence over the blog going forward.

So as of now, I have drafted the outline/structure for three books. First, a book that delves into the origins and metaphysics of sound. Second, a book analysing the meanings and functions of sounds that feature in the Bible. Third, a book on the theology of noise music. I plan to start putting ‘pen to paper’ on the first one in the spring. I am making sure to do thorough background research. The books will be in-depth but readable. In other words, I will aim to write at an academic level in terms of thoroughness and quality, but in an appropriate style for any thinking reader (ie not in bloated ‘academicese’ or indecipherable jargon). To this end I am also looking into some options for some kind of study input / mentoring to help keep me on track and to help me up my game.

Where does this leave the status and future of this blog? To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I’ve probably posted about half of the articles that I had thought I would manage (130+ so far), so now it’s really a question of time and priorities in relation to the book research and writing. I don’t like to leave unfinished business here, especially as I have already indicated on this site many of the articles and article series I have in mind to complete. So for now I’ll just say I don’t know, and sorry if I don’t fulfil either my own intentions or your expectations for the blog. But I am still here, thinking and writing. If the blog suffers for the sake of the books then so be it. Ideally both avenues will progress markedly in due course. Regardless, I will share more info here as and when.

My passion for noise and for the Bible remain undimmed, and God-willing 2022 will be a great year for pushing further and deeper into their curious interweaving!