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ISBN:0805063579
Don Foster Writing Research and Publishing Guides English
Author: Don Foster
ISBN13: 978-0805063578
Title: Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous
Format: mobi lit lit doc
ePUB size: 1942 kb
FB2 size: 1760 kb
DJVU size: 1443 kb
Language: English
Category: Writing Research and Publishing Guides
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1st edition (November 8, 2000)
Pages: 320

Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous by Don Foster



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Foster's unique skills first came to light when a front-page New York Times article announced his discovery that a previously unattributed poem was written by Shakespeare. A few weeks later, Foster solved the mystery that had obsessed America for months when he identified Joe Klein as the author of Primary Colors Year: 2014.

Don Foster still teaches literature at Vassar College, but he's recognized as an expert in attributional theory-the idea that everybody has literary fingerprints, or, as he puts it, "no two individuals write exactly the same way, using the same words in the same combinations, or with the same patterns of spelling and punctuation. Foster is now an expert at identifying anonymous authors. He fell into this line of work accidentally. While lexiphiles will enjoy such minutiae, any book lover can savor the irony of how an Elizabethan elegy eventually put a literary scholar on the trail of a serial murderer.

Author: Levison, John R. Zur Vertretbarkeit von Störungen der Marktwirtschaft aus ideellen und sonstigen Gründen von Rudolf Meimberg. On this site it is impossible to download the book, read the book online or get the contents of a book. The administration of the site is not responsible for the content of the site. The data of catalog based on open source database. All rights are reserved by their owners. Download book Author unknown : on the trail of anonymous, Don Foster.

On the trail - Looking into Shakespeare - No, really, he is anonymous - Professor's whodunit - Starr-crossed lovers - Wanda, the Fort Bragg bay lady - Yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus - After words.

On The Trail of Anonymous. From the professor with an extraordinary gift for uncovering the authors of anonymous documents comes the inside story of how he solves his most challenging cases.

Author Unknown NPR's Renee Montagne talks with literary sleuth Don Foster about his new book Author Unknown: on the Trail of Anonymous. Foster has made a name for himself by putting a name on works when their authors don't. was indeed a lost work of Shakespeare. recently, Foster believes, that Clement Clarke Moore did not write the classic the Night Before Christmas

Best known for outing Joe Klein as the anonymous author of 1996’s Primary Colors, in Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous, Don Foster spryly reveals his capers as a literary forensics expert. Claiming that writing style is as individual as a fingerprint, the Vassar English professor attributed a previously unidentified sonnet to Shakespeare, then was overwhelmed with invitations to help solve crimes and mysteries, including bomb threats, the Lewinsky-Tripp Talking Points, and a Pynchonesque literary hoax.

Written by. Don Foster. Manufacturer: Henry Holt and Co. Release date: 8 November 2000 ISBN-10 : 0805063579 ISBN-13: 9780805063578.

Find nearly any book by Don Foster. Get the best deal by comparing prices from over 100,000 booksellers. Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous. ISBN 9780805063578 (978-0-8050-6357-8) Hardcover, Henry Holt and C. 2000. Find signed collectible books: 'Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous'. Author Unknown: Tales of a Literary Detective. ISBN 9780805068122 (978-0-8050-6812-2) Softcover, Holt Paperbacks, 2001.

From the professor who invented literary forensics--and fingered Joe Klein as the author of Primary Colors--comes the inside story of how he solves his most challenging casesDon Foster is the world's first literary detective. Realizing that everyone's use of language is as distinctive as his or her DNA, Foster developed a revolutionary methodology for identifying the writer behind almost any anonymous document. Now, in this enthralling book, he explains his techniques and invites readers to sit by his side as he searches a mysterious text for the clues that whisper the author's name.Foster's unique skills first came to light when a front-page New York Times article announced his discovery that a previously unattributed poem was written by Shakespeare. A few weeks later, Foster solved the mystery that had obsessed America for months when he identified Joe Klein as the author of Primary Colors. Foster also took on a case involving the elusive Thomas Pynchon. And his contributions to the Unabomber and JonBenet Ramsey cases have led the FBI and several police forces to hire him to train their organizations. Introducing a fascinating new field of forensics, Author Unknown will appeal to mystery fans-and to everyone interested in words and the writer's craft.
Reviews: 7
playboy
I got this book mainly for the chapter on Visit from Saint Nicholas, wherein the author challenges the authorship of the poem by Clement Clark Moore, claiming rather that Henry Livingston wrote the poem. Livingston's descendants have launched a trans generational crusade to claim attribution of the poem for him. Foster makes a powerful case for Livingston's authorship, but a few inadequacies left me with a lingering doubt regarding the debate and hence Foster's work in general. For example, I have read that even Foster now is of the opinion that the funeral elegy he claimed to have been a lost work by Shakespeare was in fact written by John Ford(the Elizabethan dramatist, not the director). If he can be so deceived in one particular, one which he spent years of his life writing a dissertation and book upon, why not another?

Next, the author exhibits a lack of familiarity with his subject matter at certain points. For instance, he does not mention that Santa Claus as depicted in Visit from Saint Nicholas derives from Washington Irving, who describes him as an elf and also originates the gesture where Santa puts his finger next to his nose before shooting up the chimney. Seems weird that a prof would not recognize this. Moreover, Foster keeps calling the poem in question "doggerel." Visit is light verse, indeed, but certainly not doggerel. This is snobbish, and no poetry lover would take this stance.

Also, Foster's attack on Moore reeks somewhat of a character assassination. Now, I haven't done an iota of biographical research on Moore, but subjectively, it seems Moore is painted as a Satanic figure according to the modern PC moral code. Moore is a slave owner, misogynist, plagiarist, is "rich", and supposedly drove a brother in law to suicide. Foster takes care to touch ever leftist academic pressure point. I'm surprised he didn't attempt to paint Moore as anti transsexual in some way. It would be relevant to know whether Foster received compensation for his work from the descendants of Livingston. Still, I agree that from the fragments of each poet's work provided, that a strong case is made for Livingston's authorship.

The chapters on Primary Colors and Ted Kaczinski were fascinating, if slightly padded. He made me curious to read the book Primary Colors and more about Kaczinski who seems to truly be a fascinating character.

I thought the book limped a bit, at least to my taste, in the chapters on the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the Thomas Pynchon impersonator. The whole matter of the scandal seemed on the level of reading high school girls' letters back and forth. But still, Foster raised a curiosity about Pynchon in me. Overall, depending on the accuracy and truth of his attributions, the book was highly interesting and informative. I wonder whether Foster has turned his analytical powers to Titus Andronicus and The Turtle and the Phoenix, two works with dubious attribution to Shakespeare. Phoenix seems to me something more like Donne would write. Again, the question of the book's worth hinges upon the accuracy of Foster's findings, but even if it is wrong, the story is quite informative and entertaining.
Faegal
It may have been a short five years for the rest of us, but since 1996, when he first attracted attention for the attribution to Shakespeare of a hitherto anonymous elegy, mild-mannered English professor Don Foster has lived a suspenseful lifetime from the secretive inner sanctum of Quantico to the glare of national media. Foster pioneered the identification of authors of unattributed documents through the analysis of language structure, word choice and stylistic quirks. Foster avers that each person's usage is unique and objectifiable like DNA and fingerprints. It was he who successfully outed Joe Klein as the author of Primary Colors and just recently proved that Clement Clark Moore plagiarized 'Twas The Night Before Christmas. In Author Unknown, Foster takes us for a ride among some of his more colorful cases. His narrative is silky, intelligent, full of suspense. He provides valuable historical background and does a fine job of fleshing out the human players, even those long dead. Though Foster never editorializes--he stands back in wonder with the rest of us--his story emerges as a fascinating commentary on the nature of truth and human motivation. Foster is a very decent Everyman which makes this work all the more attractive. I'm recommending it left and right.
Kizshura
After learning about how forensic linguistics was used to solve the Unabomber case, I stumbled upon this book. Interesting, but I suggest you google a 2012 article in the New Yorker ("Words on Trial") that points out Foster's mistakes. The article also relates that a current expert in the field was formerly a member of the group Sha Na Na!
mym Ђудęm ęгσ НuK
I was considering undertaking an author attribution project. No longer. Author Unknown gave me an engaging insight how the process should be done, well beyond my capabilities. The last few days with the book were exciting and very informative. Those considering such an effort are well advised to start here in order to understand the scope and skills needed. Others may read the work as a collection of engaging detective adventures.
Thofyn
Henry Livingston Jr is my 3rd cousin 6 times removed so I enjoyed his story and investigative work done to prove he was the author of "Twas the Night Before Christmas".
He brings Henry to life and shows everyone what a jolly old soul he was!
Granirad
I didn't like the absence of scientific rigor in the texts.
Angana
My feelings are mixed on this title. The writing is very engaging and persuasive, but a simple Google search reveals that there's more than meets the eye. The author's Shakespeare case appears to have been debunked, and the Santa one was strongly rebutted. Without any expertise of my own, I just don't know who to believe. But I think this work deserves a look if you're interested in how a careful analyst can pick apart clues in one's writing.
It catches you right at the start when the author is disputed. It reads like a novel bent on making the edge of your seat the only place that you want to be. READ THIS!!
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