Anthony wrote:
"I'll tell you why I still doubt it ... the Library of
Congress lists ghost writers and other authors who are
attributed to works that are copyrighted there and there's no
mention of Craig Rice being an author of any works other than
those directly attributed (it also lists who Craig really is
as well)."
The pseudonym part on the copyright form is totally
voluntary. So its not being listed is not absolute evidence
that it is not a pseudonym. For instance, Anarchaos by Curt
Clark is not a pseudonymous work according to the files at
the Library of Congress. Neither is Ex Officio (AKA Power
Play) by Thomas J. Culver. Some Tucker Coe books are admitted
pseudonymous works, some aren't. Yet we know they are all
works by Westlake. Most have been reprinted under his name
and he admits to them all (unlike Block, he even admits to
his softcore books, some of which are listed as pseudonymous,
some not).
The same goes for Lawrence Block -- Paul Kavanagh is not
isted as a penname on the card for Such Men Are Dangerous,
but is for Not Comin' Home to You. And once you get into the
softcore stuff that is attributed to these two authors, the
accepted names are admitted pseudonyms, but few offer the
name of the real author. Some offer a second pseudonym as the
real author, like Jill Emerson really being Lawrence
Josephson (Block was allegedly Joseph's son) in Block's
case.
However, Anthony is right, its not being there is not
negative proof that it was a pseudonym, either. It leaves the
question open.
"Acknowledged fact would be Gypsy Rose Lee stating that Craig
Rice wrote her books in a biography or correspondence between
the two or a publisher's statement or a contract, etc.,
something stated first hand."
I've never looked up Rice in the files. It seems you have,
Anthony. Have you also checked the COHM files? I have found
telling info there
(assignment of copyrights, for instance) that was not
contained in the other files.
As for documentaries getting it right, I have no real
experience with the A & E ones, but I know of a few
mistakes in other respected venues, as in PBS. For instance,
when introducing Lou Reed in their History of Rock &
Roll, they said his real name was Louis Firbank. This is also
printed in several rock reference books. However, it's flat
out wrong. Reed was born Lewis Alan Reed to Sidney and Toby
Reed. As a matter of fact, this real name is on his early
copyright forms. The fake name was traced to a joking answer
to a letter in Creem magazine (anyone who's read the magazine
knows the letter replies and photo captions are not to be
taken seriously) which asked if "Lou Reed" was a pun on
"Lurid." Creem replied, Yes, his real name is Louis "Butch"
Firbank. PBS even interviewed Reed on camera. I wonder if
they asked him about the name off camera. He probably
confirmed it, just to be obnoxious. The same segment did not
mention the real names, or even that they were not real
names, of Alice Cooper and David Bowie; I think Iggy Pop's
name was also left to stand.
So I guess the lesson is, always check your sources. In
Rice's case I did an internet search. It seems there is a
recent biography of her. According to the review I ran
across, the biography argues against Rice having written the
Lee books.
Mark
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