THE WORK REMAINS

About the film

A film about Colophon, for authors. A work is a room the author builds: admitted before any money enters, revised without repainting, committed before it is published, sealed as an edition on the day it appears, and it remains.

THE WORK REMAINS is Colophon seen from the author's side. Every work begins as one room; publishing gives it walls, a date and a place to be found.

The film is built from the author's own published record: every title in a lintel, every date in a sill, every revision id and first sentence cut into a wall is real, taken from the live product. Revising a work opens the room behind it; committing is not publishing; every change carries the author's own note; an edition is sealed on the day it is published and the earlier one stays, still naming the publisher it had.

Room by room it becomes a place that can be walked through. Membership reaches forward and never backwards. The work remains.

Read the narration

The narration as spoken in the film, in order.

1. Every work begins as one room.
2. Publishing gives it walls. A date. A place to be found.
3. You are admitted here before any money enters it.
4. Admission is what opens the door.
5. Revising a work does not repaint the room.
6. It opens the room behind it.
7. Committing is not publishing. You choose what the public reads.
8. Every change carries a note you wrote. There are no anonymous changes.
9. An edition is sealed on the day it is published.
10. Changing it after that means a new edition, not an edit. The earlier one stays, still naming the publisher it had.
11. Room by room, this becomes a place that can be walked through.
12. A room still being built can stop being built.
13. Membership reaches forward. It never reaches backwards.
14. The work remains.