Doris Kearns Goodwin is a criminal. She stole the words and thoughts of others without giving credit. No amount of nausea-producing cuteness when she appears as a talking head with Tim Russert on "Meet The Press" and Don Imus on "Imus In The Morning" can hide the fact that Doris Kearns Goodwin is a thief. To see her lionized is a commentary on the times in which we live. Doris Kearns Goodwin is to the historical history profession as Dub is to the presidency. Neither belongs. If this is (fair & balanced) disdain for those who buy Kearns Goodwin's books, so be it.
[x Huffington Post]
Doris Kearns Goodwin: World's Most Decorated Plagiarist
By Eric J. Weiner
Kudos to the good people at the New York Historical Society for looking beyond the past sins of plagiarism committed by Doris Kearns Goodwin and bestowing on the prolific celebrity historian a prestigious award and $50,000 prize in honor of her recent biography of Abe Lincoln, Team of Rivals.
On Wednesday the society announced that it was naming Goodwin "American History Laureate" and was giving her its inaugural book prize, which apparently carries a price tag of fifty grand.
In her book, Goodwin makes the groundbreaking assertion that Lincoln was a heckuva manager because he named smart people to his cabinet even if they disagreed with him. Obviously it's a theme she knew was likely to resonate today in light of George W. Bush's much discussed desire to surround himself with yes-men.
Now to be fair I'll admit I haven't read the book, just the criticism (for instance, Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times called it "appealing but awkward.") To be honest I haven't looked at a single word Goodwin's written since January 2002, when I came across this story in The Weekly Standard, which outed her as a serial plagiarist who actually was forced to reach an "understanding" with one author she ripped off. (In other words, Goodwin paid off a lesser-known historian to prevent her good name from being smeared.)
Goodwin's so popular with her highly respected colleagues that nearly two years after the plagiarism scandal broke several prominent historians and media folks — everyone from Arthur Schlesinger Jr. to Walter Isaacson — actually signed a letter to the New York Times asserting that she didn't plagiarize anyone. You can make your own call, but in my mind Slate columnist Timothy Noah pretty much pantsed them in this column that ran shortly after the letter appeared.
As someone who spent five years personally transcribing hundreds of hours of interviews for a recent oral history of Wall Street, you'll forgive me if I consider a noted and highly paid historian repeatedly committing plagiarism a serious crime of authorship. In my mind it's unconscionable that an institution like the New York Historical Society would be feting someone like Goodwin with awards and prizes after such disgraceful revelations, particularly when there are so many other historians and writers deserving of recognition. But hey, what do I know?
In a media world populated by Jayson Blairs and Stephen Glasses, by Armstrong Williamses and Ben Domenechs, I guess I should consider it refreshing that even in the academic history community shit floats. Hell, we all might as well pitch in and give Doris a cool million if it turns out every word in the thing's hers. God knows she deserves it.
Eric J. Weiner is a financial journalist and former Wall Street reporter for the Dow Jones News Service. His stories have appeared in countless publications, from the Wall Street Journal to the Village Voice. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife, Paige.
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