Philip Roth’s personal papers might be destroyed by the executors of his estate, the New Republic reports.
The celebrated novelist asked his executors, Julia Golier and Andrew Wylie, to destroy many of his papers, including two manuscripts titled Notes for My Biographer and Notes on a Scandal-Monger, after his biographer Blake Bailey had finished his book.
Bailey’s Philip Roth: The Biography was published in April by W.W. Norton, and was greeted with largely positive reviews. But weeks later, after allegations of rape against Bailey, Norton pulled the book out of print. Skyhorse Publishing announced earlier this week that it would reprint the book as a paperback in June.
The possibility that Roth’s papers might be destroyed has alarmed members of the Philip Roth Society, who last week posted an open letter urging Golier and Wylie to preserve the documents.
“As scholars who have devoted our professional lives to studying the fiction of Mr. Roth, we are committed both to honoring his literary legacy and expanding our understanding of what that legacy may entail,” the members wrote. “For these reasons, we implore Mr. Roth’s executors to preserve these documents and make them readily available to researchers.”
Golier told the New York Times earlier this year that there’s “a good chance” that she and Wylie will destroy the papers, but neither executor would comment to the New Republic about their plans.
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
