Book People Archive

Re: Hughes

On Fri, 9 Mar 2001, Brenda Frazier wrote:

> In an article that I had read about Langston Hughes' works it stated:
>
> ' "So much of his work, particularly that published posthumously, was
> edited, changed and cleaned up," says Beverly Jarrett, the press'
> director and editor in chief. "We argue that he would not have
> approved of this, because that was so much a part of him that he was
> unashamed of and did not want disguised," she says. "By going back to
> the original editions, we are making available the works as he wrote
> them and as he chose to see them last in history." '
>
> I found this interesting because they are publishing his first edition
> works that were not edited. Just how much editing does the publisher
> actually do? When does the work stop being the writers? Or do writers
> sell away that much of their rights?
>

There are special copyrights given when an "unpublished manuscript"
is first published [in modern times]. . .one reason these "new" old
editions may be being published might be because they will get huge
copyright terms under the newly extended copyright laws.


Thanks!

So nice to hear from you!


Michael S. Hart
<hart@[redacted]>
Project Gutenberg
"Ask Dr. Internet"
Executive Director
Internet User ~#100

[Moderator: Due to a glitch, some readers may see this note twice;
 my apologies to those that do.

 For details on the copyright terms of unpublished MS's, see
 17 USC 303, online at http://www.loc.gov/copyright/title17/92chap3.html#303
  - JMO]