Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0003367, Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:08:29 -0700

Subject
Re: When Memory Speaks? (fwd)
Date
Body
SEE EDITOR'S NOTE AT END.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Galya Diment <galya@u.washington.edu>

I had precisely the same expectation as Jay did when I saw the book at a
bookstore several weeks ago. I got excited and flipped to the index which
stunned me, just as it did Jay. I am amazed neither the author nor the
publisher had the sense not to use the title which is immediately
associated with VN's autobiography while the book, apparently, does not
even mention it. The title which could be a homage to Nabokov is thus, it
appears, a rather blatant act of plagiarism. I suspect if Dmitri wants
to pursue it, there may be legal copyright issues involved.

Galya Diment

On Fri, 18 Sep 1998, Donald Barton Johnson wrote:

> From: Jay Livingston <LIVINGSTON@saturn.montclair.edu>
>
>
> I noticed (couldn't help noticing) this title-- "When Memory Speaks" --
> in a bookstore. The subtitle indicates that the book is about autobiography.
> But Nabokov is nowhere to be found in the index (and probably not in the book,
> though I did not read it).
>
> Is this an outright ripoff, or is there some other, earlier source for
> this notion of memory speaking that both authors are drawing from?
>
> Jay Livingston
>
------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTE: Although I share the irritation re the title rip-off, I
understand that book titles are not subject to copyright restriction--just
the content.