Mark Sullivan asked:
> In your review of Diane Johnson's book about Hammett, you wrote: "If you
read this, be sure to read Johnson's article about how Hellman interfered
with and changed the biography."
> Do you have a bit more information? What was its title? Where was it
published? Is it available online?
My reply:
Diane Johnson's article "Obsessed" about Hellman's influence over and
changes to Johnson's biography "Dashiell Hammett: A Life" appears in the May
1985 issue of Vanity Fair, beginning on page 79. I have not seen "Obsessed"
reprinted online.
Johnson says that she was surprised to find that Hellman had altered her
book in ways Johnson was unaware of initially. She also reveals that Hellman
rewrote parts of the book when the facts did not support Hellman's
viewpoint. Johnson tells the exact parts of the book that Hellman rewrote,
and says that she (Johnson) was surprised that reviewers did not notice the
shifts in tone of voice between the Hellman text and the Johnson text. I
read the parts Johnson pointed out, and was surprised myself.
Reviewers of the book did comment that Johnson quotes many extracts from
Hammett letters and other documents. Apparently, Johnson included so many
document quotes because they provided text that Hellman was not willing to
revise.
While we are on the topic of "Dashiell Hammett: A Life," one error.
On page 38, Johnson gives us the text of a Nov. 5, 1921 help-wanted ad from
the San Francisco Examiner. The ad is for a "newspaper advertising
salesman." There is no indication that Hammett ever sold advertising (or
anything else, for that matter). Hammett *created* advertisements. His
letters tell us that ad salesmen pitched him to *buy* ads. So the
help-wanted ad Johnson quotes has nothing to do with Hammett.
Glad to get that off my chest.
Vince Emery
Vince Emery Productions
Publisher:
- THE DASHIELL HAMMETT TOUR by Don Herron
- DISCOVERING THE MALTESE FALCON AND
SAM SPADE edited by Richard Layman
- HAMMETT'S MORAL VISION
by George J. "Rhino" Thompson
- LOST STORIES by Dashiell Hammett
www.emerybooks.com
Box 460279, San Francisco, CA 94146 USA
vince@emery.com Phone 1.415.337.6000
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