Ever been had
August 31, 2006 9:43 AM Subscribe
AN Wilson is a ... To be duped into printing a made-up love letter in your latest biography is bad enough. But to discover that the ersatz document is actually a very rude insult aimed specifically at you: that is a rare kind of humiliation. Two feuding biographers with dueling biographies of Sir John Betjeman (British poet laureate), a fake letter, an insult hidden in the letter, and a bit of mystery. The Sunday Times is not too prudish to print the insult.
This post was deleted for the following reason: please put this in the existing AN Wilson thread?
Funneee, good story.
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:58 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:58 AM on August 31, 2006
This is brilliant! It's the sort of well-thought-out wit that's rarely seen nowadays.
posted by clevershark at 10:06 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by clevershark at 10:06 AM on August 31, 2006
This sentence from the first link stood out:
In Britain it is not considered a conflict of interest for writers to review works by direct competitors.
Just one more reason not to take British journalism seriously, amusing as it so often is.
Delightful story, good post!
posted by languagehat at 10:10 AM on August 31, 2006
In Britain it is not considered a conflict of interest for writers to review works by direct competitors.
Just one more reason not to take British journalism seriously, amusing as it so often is.
Delightful story, good post!
posted by languagehat at 10:10 AM on August 31, 2006
Some day, Ann Coulter's biographer will get a trove of previously unknown letters detailing - in sharp words - her love of the Cincinnati steamer.
posted by parmanparman at 10:11 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by parmanparman at 10:11 AM on August 31, 2006
Isn't it the Cleveland Steamer, or is the Cincinnati Steamer something else altogether? :-)
posted by clevershark at 10:22 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by clevershark at 10:22 AM on August 31, 2006
The Sunday Times is not too prudish to print the insult.
Nor was I: AN Wilson is a shit ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 10:44 AM on August 31, 2006
Nor was I: AN Wilson is a shit ;-)
posted by jack_mo at 10:44 AM on August 31, 2006
Yeah languagehat! Thank Fox for American journalism.
posted by MrMustard at 10:51 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by MrMustard at 10:51 AM on August 31, 2006
Isn't it the Cleveland Steamer, or is the Cincinnati Steamer something else altogether?
Most metro areas seem to have their own variation on the Steamer. My personal opinion is: shit is shit and all the Saran Wrap in the world makes very little difference. Maybe a glass coffee table between thou and the turds of love is something, but it seems like pretty far down the multi-person activities list when you're checking the local free paper thinking, "When in 'Natti . . ."
posted by yerfatma at 10:59 AM on August 31, 2006
Most metro areas seem to have their own variation on the Steamer. My personal opinion is: shit is shit and all the Saran Wrap in the world makes very little difference. Maybe a glass coffee table between thou and the turds of love is something, but it seems like pretty far down the multi-person activities list when you're checking the local free paper thinking, "When in 'Natti . . ."
posted by yerfatma at 10:59 AM on August 31, 2006
In Britain it is not considered a conflict of interest for writers to review works by direct competitors.
Just one more reason not to take British journalism seriously, amusing as it so often is.
Eh? Are you saying don't novelists review other novelists, historians review other historians, etc. in the US?
As you can see I was.
When I hit post I suddenly pictured a thousand screeches of 'NSFW!', but no one seemed to mind...
posted by jack_mo at 11:33 AM on August 31, 2006
I did something similar in high school. In response to a story about a New Hampshire Congresswoman who was pushing legislation that would prevent gay couples from adopting, I wrote a letter to the Concord Monitor. The first letter of the sentence beginning each paragraph spelled out "A Bitch." Ho ho, such a clever little punk was I! Unfortunately, the editors managed to add another paragraph break, so it ended up "Am Bitch." Ah well.
posted by schoolgirl report at 11:42 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by schoolgirl report at 11:42 AM on August 31, 2006
Well, two authors who are concurrently releasing books on the same subject is different.
posted by caddis at 11:43 AM on August 31, 2006
posted by caddis at 11:43 AM on August 31, 2006
Eh? Are you saying don't novelists review other novelists, historians review other historians, etc. in the US?
Wouldn't the emphasis be on the direct competitors part? That seems immensely straightforward to me, unless you are being willfully obtuse to make some obscure point. It is simply a conflict of interest. Objectivity is scuttled by human nature when you have to review an enemy (or a friend).
Although I would encourage more of it if it resulted in such rarified pranks as this "AN Wilson is a shit" letter.
posted by Falconetti at 12:10 PM on August 31, 2006
Wouldn't the emphasis be on the direct competitors part? That seems immensely straightforward to me, unless you are being willfully obtuse to make some obscure point. It is simply a conflict of interest. Objectivity is scuttled by human nature when you have to review an enemy (or a friend).
Although I would encourage more of it if it resulted in such rarified pranks as this "AN Wilson is a shit" letter.
posted by Falconetti at 12:10 PM on August 31, 2006
The original, according to the note, had been sold to an an American collector of Betjemania
And now, that phony Betjemania has bitten the dust.
posted by ibmcginty at 12:17 PM on August 31, 2006
And now, that phony Betjemania has bitten the dust.
posted by ibmcginty at 12:17 PM on August 31, 2006
AN Wilson is a cock of the highest order. He was all over the death of Iris Murdoch like the self serving parasite that he is.
posted by fire&wings at 1:31 PM on August 31, 2006
posted by fire&wings at 1:31 PM on August 31, 2006
Are you saying don't novelists review other novelists, historians review other historians, etc. in the US?
What Falconetti said. It's one thing to have a historian review another historian; it's quite another to have a biographer review the author of a directly competing biography. Even the NY Times wouldn't do that, and my opinion of their book review section is pretty low.
posted by languagehat at 1:35 PM on August 31, 2006
What Falconetti said. It's one thing to have a historian review another historian; it's quite another to have a biographer review the author of a directly competing biography. Even the NY Times wouldn't do that, and my opinion of their book review section is pretty low.
posted by languagehat at 1:35 PM on August 31, 2006
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posted by gottabefunky at 9:53 AM on August 31, 2006