2.3.08

Misha's Contract

In 1994, the year I met Misha Defonseca , she had been telling her Holocaust "story"
for several years, according to Slate Magazine, and
had been warmly embraced
by the local Jewish community. When I heard her speak
at a college event in New York City,
I, too, believed her.


Every standard publishing agreement has a clause containing the

Author's
Representations and Warranties. Under this boilerplate language,
an author
promises certain things to the publisher. Misha Defonseca and her ghost
writer, Vera Lee, each signed a publishing agreement with their publisher, Mt Ivy
Press, in which they warranted that all statements of fact in the manuscript were
"true" and "authentic". Here is that clause in the contract (click to enlarge).



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jane,
Although I grew up in MA, I am entirely unfamiliar with the Commonwealth's laws. I do hope, however, that the revelation of the utter falsity of Monique's book will enable you to find counsel to sue her and Vera for every penny their baseless, malicious and vindictive suits cost you and your family over the years. While I recognize that you are unlikely ever to be monetarily compensated, I sincerely hope that you can get your good name and reputation restored. Vera and Monique will, I daresay, get their just desserts somehow. What goes around, it would seem, does indeed come around.
Regards,
LDM