Re: get a copy of _Uncut_, 11/97

["Fiona Webster" <fi>]

Someone who didn't sign their name wrote:
> >> ....(2) 5-star review of P&N by Nick
>  Johnstone, who really knows his stuff,....>>
> 
> Would this be the same Nick Johnstone who was 
> vilified on this list for daring to write
> an unauthorized bio of Patti? So as long as he writes
> positive stuff he's okay? 

Vilified?  Huh?  Here's the history, in brief: Nick Johnstone
contacted me, when he was researching his bio, about 
interviewing Patti fans.   He claimed to have the "110% 
cooperation of Arista" in his project, but not word yet
from Patti.  I called Patti's mom and asked her to tell Patti
about this--just as a piece of info I thought she might
appreciate having.

Patti sent word back, very clearly, through her mom,
that she had not authorized Johnstone's project and that
she did not wish for any fans, friends, relatives, or Arista
to cooperate with him.  When I met Patti briefly, in DC,
she re-emphasized this point.

So I told Johnstone that I regretted it, but Patti had sent
out the word, and I wanted to respect it.  Johnstone seemed
like a nice guy who knew his stuff: I told him so, and I conveyed
that to the list.  I also told the babel-list what Patti had 
said, and gave them Johnstone's address if they wanted to contact 
him.  As far as I was concerned, everyone on the babel-list made 
their own choice whether to talk to Johnstone or not.

Johnstone was never "vilified" by anyone.  I wished him only
the best.  I encouraged him to use any and all of the babelogue 
website material (with appropriate permissions, of course), since it 
was already public.  

There's a difference, in other words, between not cooperating
with someone, and vilifying them.

I have the bio.  I think it's respectful and reasonably well-done, 
but it obviously suffers from Johnstone's not having been able 
to interview Patti and those close to her.  As "unauthorized"
biographies go, it seems really benign to me.

	--I hope this clarifies things,

			Fiona