A Short Short Story
I discovered a story this evening that I thought I'd share with everyone. It's on the copyright page of The Penguin Poetry Library edition of D. H. Lawrence: Selected Poems. I give it to you, in its entirety.
Copyright 1916 by D. H. Lawrence
Copyright 1920 by B. W. Huebsch
Copyright 1923 by Thomas Seltzer, Inc.
Copyright 1929 Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, Inc.
Copyright 1929 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Copyright 1932, 1944, 1948, 1951 by Frieda Lawrence
Copyright © Frieda Lawrence Ravagli, 1957
Copyright © the Estate of D. H. Lawrence, 1972
Introduction copyright © Keith Sagar, 1972
Note to the Revised Edition copyright © Keith Sagar, 1986
All rights reserved
The copyright page is often a treasure trove of such info for those (like myself) who enjoy a little between-the-lines reading. I particularly relish poring over the permissions acknowledgments--the obscure names of the companies that own the rights to song lyrics, for example. The author's own acknowledgments and disclaimers in this fine print area are often quite funny (DF Wallace comes to mind).
Posted by: Chris | February 01, 2005 at 07:20 AM
Yes, Wallace's disclaimer to Infinite Jest is pretty funny. I remember it chiding you for reading the disclaimer, and having a few other goodies.
Posted by: Scott | February 01, 2005 at 09:06 AM
I don't know if there's some biographical detail I need to be aware of to understand this, but all this labelling is just hilarious. The poetry is in the public domain, and yet the publishers have found some editor who could write the introduction to give the edition a more recent copyright. The same as detergent makers changing the packaging to give it the label "New and improved."
Posted by: Robert Nagle | February 01, 2005 at 11:46 AM
The copyright statement in "Giraffes? Giraffes!" from the good folks at McSweeny's is quite amusing. Even includes a drawing of what happens to license violators.
Posted by: Scott Matheson | February 03, 2005 at 02:04 PM
I try to avoid the verso page. I try to avoid cataloging . . .
Posted by: Jazzybob | February 09, 2005 at 06:46 AM
superb
Posted by: AJE | February 25, 2005 at 09:35 PM
I am trying to get permission to use "Snake" and "Bat" by DH Lawrence in a South African schools textbook ENGLISH IN CONTEXT to be published by MASKEW MILLER LONGMAN.
Please can you send me a contact address.
Many thanks
David Clatworthy
Posted by: David Clatworthy | May 13, 2005 at 12:40 AM