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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Books Out of Respect for the Memory of Martin Luther King...

Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 1:38 PM

...let us refrain from judging his children on the content of their characters.

In the third King v. King legal dispute in four months, two of Dr. King’s children are refusing to provide a biographer of their mother, Coretta Scott King, who died in 2006, with a collection of her photographs, letters and personal papers. Their brother, Dexter King, chairman of their father’s estate, has asked a judge to force them to comply.

At stake is a $1.4 million book deal with the Penguin Group—as well as the reputation of one of America’s most famous families. Penguin said it intends to terminate the contract and demand the return of a $300,000 advance if the Kings do not turn over the papers to the biographer, Barbara Reynolds, by Friday.

Comments (9) RSS

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Dan, aren't you still on the 'el'?

Posted by Scott Dow on October 14, 2008 at 1:53 PM

I had a dream this afternoon, that all of my descendants would bicker over my effects and many want to cash in on my legacy.

Posted by Martin Luther Arschbomber on October 14, 2008 at 2:18 PM

For what it's worth, if that's the same Barabara Reynolds that used to write a column for USA Today, she is one supreme, batshit wacko.

Posted by Information Please on October 14, 2008 at 2:24 PM

ECCE HOMO DELETED: Played Out We'd rather not moderate your comments, but off-topic, gratuitously inflammatory, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate remarks may be removed, and repeat offenders may be banned from commenting. We never censor comments based on ideology. Thanks to all who add to the conversation on Slog. Except for ecce homo, who is Satan's Asshole incarnate.

Posted by ecce homo Deleted on October 14, 2008 at 3:06 PM

my offer to donate $200 to No on Prop 8 if ecce homo is banned for life still stands. will anyone join me in this endeavor?

Posted by scary tyler moore on October 14, 2008 at 3:50 PM

she is, information please, she is.

Posted by scary tyler moore on October 14, 2008 at 3:56 PM

Who are we to refrain from judging here? It's doubtful that the publisher and biographer are undertaking this endeavor for charitable reasons. Penguin Group would presumably profit handsomely from this book--Don't the King descendants have a right to make sure they get a halfway fair shake for their participation? Is it better that they be coerced into handing over personal effects out of "respect for their father's legacy" so that a multi-billion dollar corporation can make that much more money?

Posted by Hoyt Clagwell on October 14, 2008 at 6:30 PM

MLK: An amazing man. A man whose family should do everythign they can to make sure his memory is preserved. But they don't. Instead, they charge PBS or any media who dare to use his image and soundclips without paying the King family first. MLK had a dream. Thank goodness it wan't as mercenary as the rest of his familes is.

Posted by Sarah on October 14, 2008 at 8:09 PM

Funny, I don't remember giving my dad to everyone else (Oops, didn't have one to give). I'm sure MLK's kids didn't either. He was assassinated for being an icon of the civil rights movement. One would think that the family bereft of him as a father would have rights to his iconic heritage- including personal portraits. Ever think that your family was yours, oh wait- it belongs to US. If I had personal portraits of a father, the world felt as if they owned, I would be more the hesitant to relinquish them. Could the book go on without the photos? Only if they have never been released. Much has been divulged already. The other sibs can repay the publisher for photos they don't own. Period.

Posted by Kat on October 15, 2008 at 12:32 AM