Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin resigns from Pulitzer Prize board

AP via Boston.com ^ | 5/31/02 | Diego Ibarguen

[GeneD]

NEW YORK (AP) Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who has faced accusations of plagiarism over a 1987 book, has resigned from the Pulitzer Prize board, Columbia University announced Friday.

In a letter to board Chairman John Carroll, Goodwin said, ''after the controversy earlier this year surrounding my book, `The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys,' and the need now to concentrate on my Lincoln manuscript, I will not be able to give the board the kind of attention it deserves.''

[Blue Screen of Death]

Who wrote her letter of resignation?

[b4its2late]

Wow. A lib did something correct? There must be a catch.

[Pharmboy]

Er, they left out the fact that the plagiarism charge was leveled at other of her works besides the one mentioned.

Maybe she needs more time to supervise her three assistants who write her books...what a leftist phoney she is. I hope we never have to see her x42-apologizing face on TV anymore.

Note to Imus: drop her like the Pulitzers did.

[TroutStalker]

The historian who couldn't keep her notes in order.

Good riddance.

[Publius]

Doris has always had problems with the research for her books. Several decades ago she caught hell from the historical community for her book on Lyndon Johnson. The general complaint was, "She was too close to her work."

This was academic doublespeak for, "Doris was Lyndon Johnson's mistress while she was writing the book."

[TomGuy]

Who wrote her letter of resignation?

Perhaps the wording strongly resembles that of one Richard Nixon?

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Note to Imus: drop her like the Pulitzers did.

Like he dropped Barnacle?

[wheezer]

LOL

[Bahbah]

As a parent of 3 girls I did't lay down many rules, but those that I did I believe they have heeded. First among them was don't lie. It is never, never worth it in addition to it being wrong.

[YaYa123]

Inquiries into plagarism charge is now moot....no doubt a prime reason why Goodwin resigned.

Chris Mathews and Tim Russert have had Goodwin on in the last few weeks, an obvious attempt at rehabilitating their pal. You know, the old, "people will forget if we put Doris back on the air as an expert on the presidency, and pretend the plagarism charge doesn't exist" gambit.

"Goodwin said the copying was accidental, the result of a longhand note-taking system that didn't distinguish between her own observations and passages from other texts." So lame!!! Any professional writer would be able to distinguish between their own writing and "other texts". Either Doris thought she could get away with copycatting, or she has little elves writing her books for her. (Damn interns! You just can't get good help these days!)

[NativeNewYorker]

I've heard her on Imus recently, and, like Clinton, she haughtily dismisses the notion that she deliberately did something wrong.

She pretends to be surprised at the fuss over what she claims to be innocent mistakes.

The idea that she should be *embarrassed* to sit in judgement of others, in her role as a Harvard supervisor, or until now, on the Pulitzer Prize committee, never seemed to cross her mind.

I used to make a living as a writer. I've authored a book and written or edited countless articles. There is ZERO probability I would be unaware of my name going out over someone else's material. ZERO.

[nina0113]

...the need now to concentrate on my Lincoln manuscript, I will not be able to give the board the kind of attention it deserves.''

Since she's actually having to write the Lincoln book herself.

Is there any documentation of the LBJ "thing"?

[Highway55]

As historians are known to say, "Sheeeeeeeeees(Doris) history!"

[KC_Conspirator]

Who wrote her letter of resignation?

LOL!

[mrsmith]

" need now to concentrate on my Lincoln manuscript"

It is going to take all of her concentration.
There has been so much written about Lincoln, by so many people.

[SerpentDove]

>>Who wrote her letter of resignation?<<

LOL!!!

[albee]

" Who wrote her letter of resignation? Perhaps the wording strongly resembles that of one Richard Nixon?"

You only said that because her resignation letter included the phrase:

"I am not a plagurist!".

[b4its2late]

She makes me ill looking at her and hearing IMUS suck up to her in the morning. She made her name when slick was in heat and it's a good thing she was outed.

[Blue Screen of Death]

Perhaps the wording strongly resembles that of one Richard Nixon?

If you remember, when Nixon left, he stood at the top step boarding the helicopter, turned around and signaled that there was room for four more. I have seen the picture many times.

[wardaddy]

Ain't that the truth??

[ontos-on]

"A note-taking system that didn't distinguish ______" GIVE ME A FREAKING BREAK! Let me get this. You hire people to research and assist you in writing books. But when you do this, you don't take the trouble to make clear that it makes a differe3nce if it is your own notes or passages taken from someone else's book. THIS IS LIKE THE CLINTONS. BRAZEN LIE AND WE ARE SUPPOSED OT BE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE IT. SHe is extremely biased as a liberal and hopelessly polyannish about FDR JFK and the other Lib Dem icons.

[joebuck]

I bet this "resignation" wasn't her idea. Methinks that she got the word that it would be best if she resigned before she got kicked off the board.

[BushMeister]

Doris should do a bio on Sen. Joe Biden, her mentor.

[ontos-on]

Imus is in thrall to these liberal democrats. especially women. Anna Quindlan & Maureen Dowd are the biggest examples.

It is like he really knows the score about them all and even jokes about them at times or through his sidekicks, but part of his schtick is that he seemingly has to play up to the NYT and network gang and NY liberals, despite his claim to be independent and not beholden to anyone.

[Gordian Blade]

I read her FDR book. The person she really liked was Eleanor more than Franklin. You know, the ghost in the White House that liberal women can hear speaking to them.

[swarthyguy]

Maybe she can start a radio/tv talk show with that other famous boston based plagiarist Mike Barnicle; he's already on radio and shows up on Chris Matthews talking about integrity and honesty.

[Doctor Stochastic]

I guess the Peers actually Reviewed her Book.

[truth_seeker]

Goodwin said the copying was accidental, the result of a longhand note-taking system that didn't distinguish between her own observations and passages from other texts.

It can't be proved, but I'd say this is NOT the truth. The truth is she expected to get away with it, just like Ambrose.

Further inquiry may reveal that well known writers have been doing this and getting away with it, for some time.

I recall during college, the temptation was to just copy from books, digests and other papers. But instead, it was expected and required that you either restate the concepts in your own words, or attribute them. The lazy, dishonest way is to copy and not attribute.

Shame on Doris. She got caught. Not enough, though. Now she is lying about getting caught.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Good riddence. Do you hear, "Cluck, cluck cluck?" That is the sound of chickens coming home to ....

[afraidfortherepublic]

" need now to concentrate on my Lincoln manuscript"

That's going to be tough for her. It should make her uncomfortable to write about "Honest Abe."

[Checkers]

Another Clinton fellatrix goes down hard.