Doris Kearns Goodwin Is Accused of Plagiarism

Re “As History Repeats Itself, the Scholar Becomes the Story,” Aug. 4: Scholarship is not whatever one can get away with.

When I taught English composition at the University of Dayton for 38 years, I did not allow the students to paraphrase. I told them that if the idea was worth using they should use the exact words of the original writer to get the original feeling and exact meaning. And they must cite it. They had no problem understanding that.

Doris Kearns Goodwin would fail freshman comp. She is a scholar who doesn’t honor the simple fundamentals of freshman education. There is a place in Dante’s hell ... or is it Goodwin’s inferno?

Tony Macklin

Las Vegas

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How mean-spirited your article on Goodwin is. She has admitted her errors, has compensated those whom she wronged, apologized and tried to get on with her Lincoln biography. I have followed her career, have read every one of her books and find her an admirable and honest person.

My point is this: In our present mean-spirited world, everything is written in the negative--this article could have been written with the same facts but in a more positive light. That quote from Sally Quinn borders on the comic.

I implore you and the rest of the media to emphasize the positive in such articles; let’s try to be less accusatory--this era must pass.

Judith Schulman

Los Angeles