Anthony Fleming and Dorothy L Sayers

Michelle Spring

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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Hi again, Ann. I must have missed something here. I haven't seen the
amazon.com entry, and don't know what it is that has annoyed you. I was
simply responding to your question about Anthony Fleming. You had asked,
as I recall, whether Anthony Fleming was, or was not, the son of Dorothy
L Sayers' husband.

My information came from two sources: from a radio programme based on
Barbara Reynolds' book of the collected letters of Dorothy L Sayers; and
from Jill Paton Walsh, co-author of the latest Sayers' mystery, Thrones,
Dominations. Perhaps when Jill returns from her tour of Australia, we can
check with her.

Michelle Spring

Ann Freelander

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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Michelle,

I didn't exactly ask whose son Anthony Fleming was, as it has been known to
marry after the fact, so to speak. I went to the amazon.com site because
an online friend of mine was ordering her copy of Thrones, etc. from them.
And that's where I ran into the offending article.

My friend had told them there were some reviews posted on the website, and
I was also curious to see what others thought of the book.

Ann

Michelle Spring

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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Michelle Spring
Standing in the Shadows (coming soon from Ballantine)

Virginia Bemis

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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The fact that Anthony Fleming was the son of Dorothy L. Sayers has been
widely known for over 20 years, and discussed at length in several
biographies of her, especially those by her friends James Brabazon and
Barbara Reynolds. Several of her own letters on the subject are in the
collection of her letters published a year or so ago.
Basically, the facts are these: Anthony's father was a mechanic and
engineer named Bill White. He and Sayers did not marry, hence Anthony was
illegitimate. Sayers later married Oswold Fleming, and they informally
"adopted" the boy, but it was never regularized. All parties involved are
now dead, and certainly can't be hurt by any discussion.
Considering some of the very insightful discussions Sayers writes in her
theological works about sin, forgiveness, etc., knowing about this is as
useful as knowing about St. Augustine of Hippo's mistress and child, to
name one example Sayers would have been quite familiar with.
I don't know what amazon.com is saying, but if they are simply reporting
what's been common knowledge for 20 years, I can't see the problem.

Bishop Freddie, friend and mentor to C.P. Randollph

Virginia Bemis voice: 419 289-5120
English Department
Ashland University
Ashland, OH 44805
vbe...@ashland.edu

Ann Freelander

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Mar 12, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/12/98

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Virginia,

I was simply shocked to see that piece of gratuitous information bannered.
I do not particularly care about the private lives of writers, just their
output.

So, no. I don't run about scooping up biographies of writers. Seems a bit
redundant anyhow.

And I am through with this inquiry, which has got various explanations but
absolutely no reason why amazon.com should go the Monica Lewinsky route. I
mean, please. Who cares what long dead people did in their youth?

Ann

Doris Ann Norris

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Mar 13, 1998, 3:00:00 AM3/13/98

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I happened to hit Amazon the day of Victoria Sackville-West's birthday.
The only "fact" they gave about this writer was that she said she only
slept with Virginia Woolf twice. That is certainly the "Monica
Lewinsky route" as Ann mentions.
If they have access to DorothyL it should be amazing what they report
about some of the resident authors. "Meg Chittenden says she only
line-danced nude with Sumo wrestlers once!" <g> That would probably be
the mildest of "author profiles."

Doris Ann Norris--who thanks those that sent the URL for the Washington
Post article and now feels a little better about the money she spends on
mysteries each year. Who wants to retire, anyway. ; }