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The
Christchurch Civic Creche Case |
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Dunedin author Lynley Hood
is standing by her call for thousands of CD Roms containing incorrect
biographical information about her to be destroyed, but rejects claims she
threatened legal action. Dr Hood last week wrote
to government agency Creative New Zealand asking for the 2000 CDs about New
Zealnd writers, which wrongly stated her doctorate from the University of
Otago was honorary rather than an examined degree, to be destroyed and new
versions made and redistributed. As a result Creative NZ
destroyed hundreds of CD-Roms and asked writers who had received them to
destroy their copies. But Hood's request has
come under fire from fellow authors who in a Sunday newspaper were quoted as
calling the author of A City Possessed -
a story about the Christchurch civic creche case - paranoid and vain. However, yesterday,
Hood said the incorrect information could seriously damage her reputation if
people believed her doctorate was awarded and not earned. The CDs will be used to
promote New Zealand literature internationally, specifically at the London
Book Fair this month. "Those CDs are
going to be around for a long time and not only does the mistake take away my
qualification, it's made it into a liability. "If you've got an
honorary doctorate and use the title, you're a joke. I can't afford for that
to happen," she said. In the letter written
to Creative New Zealand, Dr Hood said she believed the mistake was deliberate
as she had pointed out - in writing and on two occasions - the doctorate was
examined, not honorary. "Indeed, I am
bound to conclude the error was deliberate, and that it was made by someone
who clearly understands the difference between an earned degree and an
honorary degree, and who must therefore be fully aware that misrepresenting
an earned doctorate as an honorary doctorate to an international audience
will seriously damage the honour and reputation of the degree holder. "As you are well
aware, anyone with an honorary doctorate who uses the title Dr, and who fails
to add (Hon) to the letters after his or her name, is deservedly regarded as
a pretentious ignoramus. "Consequently, by
portraying my degree as an honorary one in a government-sponsored
publication, CreativeNZ has not only failed to acknowledge my proper
scholarly status, it has turned legitimate use of my hard-earned doctorate
into an object of contempt," the letter said. She was unperturbed by
the public backlash of her literary colleagues. "Well, the people
the paper spoke to were children's authors and poets." Children's author Kate
de Goldi said the debacle was "crucifyingly embarrassing" for New
Zealand literature. "I can't believe
that someone would...require that the mistake be amended at considerable cost
simply for their own vanity," she said. Poet Jenny Bornholdt,
who is among the 44 writers on the CD, said other writers she had spoken to
were outraged. "They think it's ridiculous," she said. "It's
overkill." Wellington novelist
Lloyd Jones said Hood's belief the error was deliberate was "probably
paranoia working overtime". While Creative New
Zealand initially suggested inserting a correction card in every CD case,
Hood said she told them it would be "just as easy" to reburn and
distribute the discs. She was baffled as to where
the references to threatening legal action came from. "That is totally
incorrect. I have never made any threats. Legal action has never been
discussed." Hood's letter concludes
by saying a copy of it will be forwarded to her lawyer. A Creative NZ spokeswoman
told the Sunday Star-Times about 200 recipients of the CD here and overseas
had been sent letters to destroy their copies, which would be replaced. A further 600 copies
which had not been distributed would be destroyed, and amended copies produced.
At last week's London
Book Fair, where Antipodean writing was the central focus, about 1200 of the
CDs were issued with an "erratum slip" of paper correcting Hood's
profile. Hood said she hoped
Creative NZ would reissue the 1200 CDs distributed in London, which included
Spanish and French translations, as erratum slips were "not good
enough". |
