Scholars scramble to save Philip Roth's papers from being burned

Author Philip Roth had a very clearly defined plan to control his legacy.

He granted special access to his papers to one biographer — the now-infamous Blake Bailey — and left instructions to his executors that they should destroy those papers after the biography was published.

With so much controversy swirling around that biography, which was shelved by one publishers after sexual misconduct allegations against Bailey emerged (though picked up by another), literary scholars are ramping up efforts to save Roth’s papers from the burn pile.

The New Republic reports on these efforts and the unusual nature of Roth’s deal with his biographer.

Related posts 

• Woody Allen's publisher picks up Blake Bailey's new book 

• Franz Kafka collection in Israeli library is nearly complete