The article focuses on linguist Victor A. Friedman's 1993 work on the first philological conference for the establishment of the Macedonian alphabet and the Macedonian literary language. Topics discussed include the role played by Blaze Koneski in resolving the orthography, the second alphabet proposed by Koneski that reflected possible political and/or cultural rapproachment with Pirin and issues tackled by a second commission formed in spring 1945.