Personal Injury & Torts
May 31, 2001
Publisher Agrees to Reprint Book
SAN FRANCISCO - Publishing giant Random House Inc. has settled a defamation claim filed by an assistant to the controversial British philosopher Bertrand Russell.
The New York publisher agreed Friday to pay an undisclosed amount and remove offending language from future editions of the book, "Confessions of a Philosopher." Random House also agreed to provide 700 copies of the new edition to replace older copies on library shelves, said plaintiffs attorney Adam Belsky.
"The significant thing is that it's going to correct the historical record as to Bertrand Russell and my client," said Belsky, name partner at San Francisco's Gross & Belsky. "And there isn't going to be this defamatory edition out there as a resource in universities and other libraries."
The controversy began with the 1997 publication of "Confessions of a Philosopher," written by British journalist and politician Bryan Magee. Originally published by a London company called Orion Publishing Group, the book is a personalized account of the author's interest in philosophy and includes whole chapters dedicated to individual philosophers.
A chapter dedicated to Russell includes disparaging comments about Ralph Schoenman, who served as Russell's secretary for several years. Magee calls Schoenman "an appallingly sinister figure, like an evil dwarf." He also rehashes rumors, apparently popular in the 1960s, that Schoenman was a CIA agent charged with discrediting Russell because of his support for nuclear disarmament. The author also claims that Schoenman shielded Russell from contact with certain people, intentionally failing to relay phone messages left by friends, acquaintances and reporters.
Schoenman responded to the book by filing a libel suit in Britain. That suit was settled when Orion Books agreed to recall every copy of "Philosopher" from circulation. Both the company and the author, through their attorneys, also offered sweeping apologies that admitted that the allegations regarding Schoenman had no factual basis.
Schoenman, a resident of Contra Costa County, also filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court of Northern California, accusing both Random House and Magee of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Schoenman v. Random House, C-00-1161. That suit was settled Friday after both parties submitted to mediation.
A Random House spokesman declined to comment on the settlement, except to say that the new edition of the book, without the offending remarks, had already been printed at the request of Orion.
Tyler Cunningham
For reprint rights or to order a copy of your photo:
Email
Jeremy_Ellis@dailyjournal.com
for prices.
Direct dial: 213-229-5424
Send a letter to the editor:
Email: letters@dailyjournal.com