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Topic: I am returning for the summer.

Posts 1 - 10 / 10
Last Reply: May 29, 2011 2:24 PM
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 10, 2011, 10:10 PM 5089
To all of Betty's fan. I will be returning as media coordinator begining June 1st until August 15th when I return to school. I do hope to have a newsletter put together. If anyone would like to make a written contrabution please, feel free to contact me. I am always looking for new ideas for the newsletter plus personal stories on Betty. Most of you have my email addrerss and for those of you who don't drop me a line at johnc@bettyMacdonald.net.
Suz
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
May 11, 2011, 7:39 AM 5090
John, it's great to have you back. One story I've always wondered about is one about Dorita Hess from Anybody Can Do Anything. Assuming the bones of the story are true and that Betty didn't use a whole bunch of artistic license, some detective work using Seattle newspapers of the time might turn up some more information on that incident, or possibly someone in her family would still know something. And where did I read that in their forties when they were together in Seattle, Betty would drive while Mary navigated (or vice-versa) because one didn't like to drive and the other couldn't see well enough? Do you know anything about that?
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 11, 2011, 11:05 AM 5091
The Dorita story always intrigued me. I may have do some digging on that one and see what I can find out. I maybe able to find it in a database under mail fraud/ Seattle WA and see what comes up. I will let you know if I find anything out. I think it was Mary who had the bad eyesite... I will have to reread Betty's books during the summer; I need to take some notes anyway so it will be a good opportunity to read :). It is good to be back under the helm even if it is for just a few months at a time.
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 26, 2011, 10:50 AM 5092
Suz, I can't find any related stories about a woman being arrested in Seattle for Mail Fraud, during the depression or before the war. I thought maybe Betty could have been referring to a man but changed it to a female but... once again nothing found.
Suz
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
May 26, 2011, 11:45 AM 5093
Dang it! Well, I appreciate your trying, anyway. Had Betty faced the Bishop lawsuit by the time she wrote Anybody Can Do Anything? If so, she may have been extra wary of putting in details which someone could have used to bolster another lawsuit. She could have made the whole thing up to add interest to the memoir, as well, but something about the descriptions of the incident make me think that there was somebody working with her in that warehouse who made her feel nervous at the very least.

On another topic, I sure wish that some publisher felt there was enough interest in Betty to warrant putting out audio versions of her books. I think someone did Nancy and Plum on commercial cassette many years ago, but so far as I'm aware, that was the only one of Betty's books which was covered in that fashion.
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 26, 2011, 1:37 PM 5095
Good idea, I would love to have Betty's books on tape or CD.
frankalexander
Joined: Nov, 2004
Location: Puget Sound
Occupation: Website Manager
May 26, 2011, 3:14 PM 5096
What is the copyright status of these works today? It does not require a publisher, only a web host for a standard podcast like those we host at Clark IP. Could be done chapter by chapter if no © infraction.
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 28, 2011, 1:49 PM 5098
Frank, as far as I know all of Betty's books are still in print. In fact, they just re-released The Egg and I in hardcover.
Suz
Joined: Dec, 2007
Location: Pacific Northwest
May 28, 2011, 6:08 PM 5099
How does that copyright system work, anyway? I thought that the original publisher, Lippincott, had allowed the copyright to lapse, and that's why the Common Reader editions of all Betty's books came out in softcover about ten or twelve years ago. Do you know who just published Egg in hardcover? I wonder if they have publishing rights to that one alone, or if they have plans to republish all of Betty's books?
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 29, 2011, 2:20 PM 5100
Suz, I am not sure who actually owns the copyrights. Ameican LTD printed the hardcover edition of TE&I and The Common Reader owns the paper back. I will check the Library of Congress and see just who owns what and let you know.
johnftwa48in
Joined: Feb, 2005
Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
May 29, 2011, 2:24 PM 5101
Suz, just did a quick search in The Library of Congress... it still shows Lippencott.
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