Kerouac's Will Ruled a Forgery

A judge has finally ruled in a long-running case involving the estate of Beat icon Jack Kerouac.

All the Way Hemingway

Very interesting NYT op-ed piece on changes in the new edition of Hemingway's A Moveable Feast, tampered with by grandson who didn't like some things said about his grandma.

The 'Why' of Forgery

Though the examples are from the ancient world, the primary points are valid across time. An excellent overview.

Questions About a Hoax Review

Although the full story hasn't emerged, it looks as though someone pranked the prestigious Modernism/Modernity journal with a book review written by a Don DeLillo character. As to why, the answer may be "to see if it could be done." But we don't know, yet, if that's it.

'Lost' Manuscripts

For some odd reason a number of "lost" -- at least, unpublished -- manuscripts by noted authors have come to light and will be be published.

"Priceless" Ty Cobb Diary a Fake

Following an FBI investigation, the Baseball Hall of Fame has removed a diary supposedly kept by Ty Cobb from the exhibit area. It will now reside in storage in the hall's basement.

Who Wrote Obama's Book?

There's a bit of a fuss in political circles about whether President Obama wrote Dreams of My Father. Generally I don't bother with squabbles over writing by politicians because they rarely write their own stuff so the issue is ridiculous. But I'm not sure about Obama. He might have strong feelings about authenticity. Anyway, here's one interesting analysis in favor of his authorship. If that's too technical, another discussion of the same topic appears here, also favorable to Obama. And here's the guy who started the ruckus by contending that Bill Ayers wrote the book.

Vanity Press for Scholars?

The editor of the publication in question has resigned, according to a Guardian report. This outfit offers to print your research paper in their scholarly journal, for a fee ... and got hoaxed by this prankster who submitted a gibberish paper. My LiteratEye column on the subject can be found at ArtofthePrank.com

Salinger Goes to Court

Ron Rosenbaum takes a look at how things stand with reclusive J.D. Salinger, including the lawsuit over use of his Catcher in the Rye characters in a novel by another author.

UPDATE: The new novel's author responds. Meanwhile a judge is holding up release of the book in the U.S. while the case is under study. UPDATE: A very interesting story from a Swedish newspaper. Update: Publication blocked.UPDATE: The appeal.

UPDATE: So long, Salinger...

The Marlowe-Shakespeare Conspiracy

I shy away from most items on the Shakespeare controversy because it's generally so well covered elsewhere but this site is intriguing, very well done, and the unrelated addenda is, to me, quite interesting. I ran across it while looking for a good solid site on Shakespeare as a Sufi poet; haven't found that one yet.

One Less eBay Forger

If you bought from this guy on eBay, your signed first edition is probably signed by him, not by the author. One of many forgers working the "signed first" scam over the Internet, no doubt. And what of victims, do they just take the hit or do they pass it on?

The Druid Forgeries

About three quarters of the way down in this review you'll meet Iolo Morganwg, whose forgeries assisted greatly in creating the Druids as we know them today.

Check It Out: News and Columns

My news articles, tips, and a weekly LiteratEye column appear on Joey Skaggs' artoftheprank web site. You can find the archive here. Take a gander at the home page as well, there's almost always something wild and crazy going on.

Long Lost History of a Legendary Fraud

Here's the inside story on the original Ponzi as detailed in a lost (and, obviously, now found) manuscript.

Big-Hearted Harrison Forged Beatles' Sigs

George Harrison seems to have forged the signatures of his fellow Beatles to grant the wish of a dying youngster. Story indicates that wasn't the only time.

Who You Callin' a Liar?

In the dust-up over inaccuracies and possible fabrications in the memoir of a young African pressed into military service by guerrillas, seems like everyone is calling everyone a liar.

A Plagiarist Stole His Granny

This article is kind of long-winded but the point is interesting, direct plagiarism may be easy to catch if the original appears on the Net, but a clever text doctor can work around that.

Forbidden Lie$

"Did author Norma Khouri con more than half a million readers, publishers and journalists across fifteen countries?" Really great YouTube trailer on this documentary on Norma Khouri's best-selling web of lies.

Murderers, Rapists, Pig Thieves?

A $10-million lawsuit over reporting on blood feuds in the New Guinea highlands.

Bad News, Baseball Fans

A lengthy but quite informative interview on fraud in the baseball autograph field. 

The Boss is a Real Nazi

Business students in India are turning to Adolph Hitler for advice on how to achieve their goals.

Secret Writing

Edgar Allan Poe issued a challenge to readers. Can you solve it? 

Writer's Cramp? Rent-a-Forger

Why wait for that forged autograph? Buy the book pre-forged from the publisher.

Churchill "Wrongly Fired"

A university cannot fire a tenured professor just because he steals the work of others and claims it as his own, categorizes innocent murdered Americans as "Nazis," spouts outrageous bullshit as "history," claims a heritage that isn't his, and that sort of thing. There's no single link I'd recommend for exploring the issue; here's a starting point.

Categorizing Castaneda

This week's LiteratEye column focuses on that man of mystery and mischief, Carlos Castaneda. The column has been described by one critic as "wonderful -- interesting, amusing, thought-provoking." OK, so that "critic" is web site host Joey Skaggs -- check it out at artoftheprank.com, maybe you'll agree with him.

Telling It Like It Is...Maybe

Here's the way it is in regard to information - anything you see or hear these days -- from a filmmaker who worked with Norma Khouri, the memoirist liar from Jordan (I mean, Chicago) who won hearts and made big bucks with her story of abuse and pursuit by Muslim fanatics. Anna Broinowski, an independent filmmaker, says viewers should leave the theater "not just questioning Norma, but questioning our own judgment, the system that created Norma, and indeed the filmmaker herself. Trust no-one. Think first. Believe nothing you are told..." See the interview.

Pearl S. Buck Plagiarism Exposed

Much credit is due the blogger at this site (Suzan Abrams) for publicizing the plagiarism of some Pearl S. Buck short stories. I haven't dug into it so visit that site for details. Hopefully the story will gather steam.

Education by Proxy; Essays For Sale

There's nothing new about students purchasing essays on line but this in-depth overview traces purchases by U.S. students to the Philippines and thence to the Ukraine...

Cooking the Books

The husband of the author of a heart-wrenching autobiography supposedly written by a 14-year-old boy has now faked services rendered as a psychologist. The deeper you dig into this story the more sordid and strange it becomes. I will have to look into it for a LiteratEye column.

Book Promotion 101

Watching the roller coaster sales figures for Fiona I can empathize with anyone who has written a book and would like a sure-fire method for promoting sales. But snagging a three year sentence in a Bangkok prison? Maybe I'll stick to writing my LiteratEye column and hoping for the best.

Double Your Money?

Fiona has been available on Amazon for about two months ($19.95 plus shipping) and has already popped up on another major bookseller site, AbeBooks in the United Kingdom. I really don't understand how this works but the price there is more than double: $44. plus shipping, and that is U.S. dollars...

Remembering a Master Hoaxer

My LiteratEye column for this week focuses on author Keven McQueen and his profile of a master of the journalistic hoax, Joe Mulhattan. Read it here.

Abe Lincoln, Mystery Writer

This is a new one on me ... Abe Lincoln wrote a short mystery story, found here.

Fake Secret Agent Found Dead

The author of Jihad!, a best-selling book about the "secret war" in Afghanistan, has been found dead in an Antwerp garage, apparently murdered. He had been outed as an imposter and his book exposed as fraudulent. I wrote a column that sums up the case so far, posted on Joey Skaggs' Art of the Prank web site.

Desiderata

If "Aquarius" was the National Anthem of a generation, the prose poem "Desiderata" might be considered its Pledge of Allegiance. "Desiderata" still appears, both commercially as a plaque or poster, and posted on the 'net as someone's favorite words to live by. And the claim is usually attached that it is ancient, or at least quite old, having first appeared at a Baltimore cathedral in 16-something. Actually, "Desiderata" is not only a modern work but it is still under copyright, and those who profit by it may be subject to legal action. The facts of the matter may be found at this urban-legends site.

While we're at it, might as well note that the St. Francis Prayer seems to be also of modern vintage.

The McLellin Papers

Lots of coverage of the sale of the genuine McLellin papers which figured in the Mark Hofmann case. PhiloBiblos did a nice summary of what's happening now.

Tip of the Hat

Fiona got a bit of favorable mention in The Washington Times in mid-December. Our thanks to John McCaslin for bringing the project to the attention of the high and mighty in our nation's capital.

And this just in: "...Late last night I began reading your blog Literary Fraud & Folly and expect to dive in even deeper in the morning. As a rare book and manuscript librarian who has worked with a number of forgeries, your subject is of constant interest to me."

-Brad Westwood, Westwood Arcade, a blog about collecting personal correspondence

Fiona Now on Amazon

Those who prefer to purchase via Amazon can now access Fiona's order page. If clicking here: Fiona Mysteries doesn't work, you can type the words in at the Amazon search section. We especially appreciate any kind words posted in the Reviews section, if readers are so inclined. That sort of thing gives potential readers confidence in the product.

"Fiona" Now Available!

Strange and intriguing stories, fascinating to book lovers, are found in the field of literary deception. These include mysterious cases of forgery, fraud, hoaxes, false memoirs, fake discoveries, travel to nonexistent locales and related crime and mischief.

“Fiona: Mysteries and Curiosities of Literary Fraud and Folly,” a new annual publication in book format, focuses on that field from its ancient roots to modern manifestations. Articles in the 100-plus page first edition, available via https://www.createspace.com/Customer/EStore.do?id=3359422, explore questions and controversies including:

• What vital procedure should you follow to prove a rare book or document isn’t forged or stolen?

• Parson Weems to the contrary, George Washington apparently “swore a false oath.”

• Biographers may insist, but John Paul Jones did not say, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

• Did someone in China write the Dead Sea Scrolls?

• Is the Voynich Code nothing but gibberish?

• If your rare manuscript qualifies as a “public document,” do you really own it?

• And how does the mysterious Carmelita fit into the legend of Wyatt Earp?

• Plus other features and news of interest to armchair literary detectives.

W.J. Elvin III, editor and publisher of Fiona, has an extensive background in investigative reporting and antiquarian research; he is author of several thousand news and feature stories for national publications. For many years he wrote the "Small Presses" column for The Washington Times' book section while also serving as a frequent reviewer of mainstream books. For ten years he wrote and published a newsletter reviewing books on antiques and antiquarian subjects. Among his recent work is a book challenging the attribution of a high-priced “vintage” photo frequently appearing at auction identified as Josie Earp, wife of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp.

Fiona takes its name from the elusive Scottish romantic poetess and writer Fiona MacLeod. Though sought by admirers, suitors and literary investigators, she was never actually seen in person. Upon the death of writer William Sharp, it was revealed that he, in fact, was Fiona MacLeod.

Where to Begin?

Here's a very nice list of books about literary forgery and fraud from LibraryThing. You can follow titles along to reviews, if they've been done here, or once you've found an interesting title you can search it on Google and learn more about it. Unfortunately, as you've probably noticed in your studies, many scholarly reviews are locked behind toll booths like JStor, you have to pay to read them. 

Churchill, Dickens, Napoleon

 In the course of other searching I came across several references to a site listing the top selling autographs. What impressed me was that it wasn't all Michael Jackson, Madonna and the celebrity crowd. As the headline indicates, there is still an appreciation of history's truly great, at least as of my visit to the site.

If This Is Friday, We Must Be Marooned

Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" was long thought to belong in the realm of "imaginary travel," and to some extent that may be so. But, as is now common knowledge, the book was based on the experiences of Scottish mariner Alexander Selkirk. The castaway was rescued by Capt. Woodes Rogers, a very successful privateer. Rogers, a friend of Defoe, mentions Selkirk in his diary. A hundred copies of the diary are thought to survive, including this recent find.

Spotting fake autographs

Though it may not qualify as "literary fraud," the faking of sports autographs certainly has crossover elements. It's epidemic. Here's a good starter "how to" from the BBC: 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7291412.stm

Just noticed a novel suggestion for those who want to avoid autograph fakery. Collect signed, cashed checks. I can see where there'd be risks but the odds favoring authenticity seem better than with other materials...

Ah, distinctly I remember...

I put together a list of recent fake memoirs for the Amazon site. There are only 19 books on my list, going back to Education of Little Tree. Perhaps I should have gone on back as far as T. Lobsang Rampa, the fake Tibetan who begged pardon, saying his cat dictated his 20 or so books to him. I would bet a list of a thousand could be easily compiled just featuring modern efforts. We only hear about those that rise to the top before exposure. The list includes current prices for the books. In some cases those prices indicate that while literary fraud may not pay, grabbing up fraudulent memoirs in the early days for later sale can be profitable. By the way, the New York Times attempted a list similar to mine. The usual suspects. ABC News also did one, more detailed, in fact so similar as to make one wonder if they neglected to credit the primary source?

Internet Research 101

Be sure you read a couple of profiles of famous explorers here before you go poking around the other entries on that site to see what the heck is going on.

A Great Idea Jeopardized by Saboteurs

Wikipedia is a great idea, a free forum for sharing knowledge. But, the world being as it is, humans tend to make a mess of such things. Here's a story on political sabotage via Wikipedia -- though focused on a particular sphere, it tends to cast all Wikipedia content in doubt.

284,000 Stolen Books?

Sometimes I've offered a used book on Amazon at considerably less than the competing sellers simply in hopes of moving it off my shelf. All the same, one has to wonder when a book appears at price dramatically lower than other listings ... is it hot? Here's a story from Japan about $4-million in missing library books, and I imagine the stateside story would be far more astonishing.

Philip Jose Farmer, 91

The prolific Farmer irritated Kurt Vonnegut by appropriating Vonnegut's fictional failed science fiction writer, Kilgore Trout, as "author" of his Venus on the Half Shell novel. Here is Farmer's NYT obituary. And here are his thoughts on immortality: 

“I can’t see any reason why such miserable, unhappy, vicious, stupid, conniving, greedy, narrow-minded, self-absorbed beings should have immortality." R-I-P.