Robert Alter read from his new translation of the Psalms (quite a stunning one, too), as did Marilynne Robinson, who was there as a theologian and writer. There were a few musical settings of his translations as well as two of the Psalms in Hebrew. Between readings, Alter and Robinson commented on them, both as translations, as poetry, and as prayer. Alter sought to recapture the sound and alliteration of the Hebrew Psalms in a greater way than previous English translations such as the KJV have. To me, it sounded a lot like a combination of the raw, personal voice of Peterson’s paraphrase, The Message, but not as a paraphrase, and with a stronger emphasis on poetry. As he pointed out, this book is, in literary terms, an anthology of ancient Hebrew poetry.
Marilynne Robinson is phenomenally articulate - she speaks as she writes - and their observations on the nature of the Psalms both as sacred texts and as ancient poetry were valuable - particularly as Robinson commented on the difference between the polytheistic view of the individual and God’s/the gods’ interest in the individual and that of the Hebrews. (For instance, in most ancient religions, many natural phenomena such as wind, fire, and flood was attributed to disputes between the gods - but in the Psalms, it’s clear that this is something God himself produces, and while it’s fearsome, it’s celebrated.)
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