This I do not believe!!!!!!!

Comment

Comment by deb hurd on February 25, 2012 at 9:27pm

Well, you know the old sayings - "Shoot first and ask questions later." and "Ask permission and risk being turned down. Do it anyway, and beg forgiveness later."

I just don't know how anybody can stop you from dedicating a book to whomever you want. Although I must confess, I'm really not quite sure if you had the intention of publishing your stories or not, or exactly what kind of a 'book' you were planning, I still don't see why you would need somebody's permission to put their name on a dedication page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comment by Suzanne Stroop on February 23, 2012 at 1:38pm

You are right but, those poems are already in book form and not copywrited so anyone can use them.  I don't care about the poetry. And again, why is FOND there if not to hear us.  They accepted everything I wrote until I didn't think and asked to use Neil's name in the Dedication.  If I had just thought about it I would have realized that the internet is full of his name and so are the unauthorized biographys of him. I really feel Alison, who had already commented on the poems, could have contacted me herself instead of getting an attorney involved and just said they could not accept anything that was in so called book form legally. I am going to do as Melissa suggested and never contact or even try to contact him again.  The saddest part of this is that all I ever wanted to do was to thank him.

Comment by Jen lee on February 23, 2012 at 1:19pm

Maggie M is right. Think of all the songs people must try to send him. If someone sent one to him and later he wrote one that sounded remotely like it, they could just say they sent it and he used it. It's probably a policy that anything originally created by someone else automatically gets deleted. It's not like your writing goes ignored anyway. We read it. That should count for something. We just relate to him through his music an itis very personal. But you have to remember there is a entire machine working behind him. It's great music but it is still big business. Don't waste your time trying to contact them anymore. It's not worth it if it is going to make you sad and take away the joy writing brings you. I'm sure he knows by now how much he means to us.Like I said, it's not going unread and you should be very pleased and satisfied knowing that.

Comment by Suzanne Stroop on February 23, 2012 at 8:46am

I agree and maybe this summer I will try a writing group - but it was you guys that opened me up and allowed me to express myself. It was everything that was deep inside that had never come out - I really don't know if I have anymore to say. It was all about Neil and memories - But I will try. Both of you made me feel better but for the life of me I really just don't understand.  I never meant to hurt anyone or cause a problem. I was just excited and wanted to share it with Alison.

Comment by MM on February 23, 2012 at 8:33am

Suzanne, I did not know you had already taken some courses, but, as I said, a writer's group could be very good for you.  Be like Neil, don't give a darn what other people say, just do what you have to do.  As for FOND, I agree with Melissa, don't bother with them again--especially if that is the way they are going to treat people!  Good luck with your writing.  Maybe take a small break if you want to, but if you are a true writer--if it's in your bones--now that you have started it will probably be very difficult NOT to write anymore.  I do know the more one writes the better one gets, and your work did show improvement over time with each piece.  Don't give up now, girl!  Again, be like Neil, he never gave up.  If he had given up in the beginning, in those first seven or eight years before his big break we wouldn't have what we have now, would we?  Courage!  MM

Comment by Melissa B on February 23, 2012 at 8:11am

Suzanne, you have a talent for writing and I'd hate to see you not use it.  Maggie made some great suggestions, but since you've already taken some courses how about a writing group? 

Comment by Suzanne Stroop on February 23, 2012 at 8:01am

Thank you both - Maggie and Melissa. I don't plan on contacting them again and I never thought of it the way you expressed it Maggie. Although if FOND does not want you to write to them, with whatever you have be it a letter or poem to Neil, then why is it in existence at all. I would have felt alot better if Alison had just asked me to stop sending stuff.  I just received an email from that same attorney saying thank you for the email (the one I pasted below) and also good luck with the writing. As far as the writing goes, I did take 3 courses at Eckerd College in creative writing but never really used them until I found this site. Now I just don't feel like writing anything anymore. Oh well, I guess I will get over it sooner or later, and will take your advice Melissa to heart and never try to contact them again.

Comment by MM on February 23, 2012 at 7:38am

Suzanne, Neil probably gets so many poems and songs there might be a very compelling reason he has to say "stop."  It could put him in a situation where he has to protect himself if someone comes along later and says that Neil stole something from them.  It doesn't necessarily reflect on you as much as it might reflect on situations that other people might have put Neil in and to protect himself he has to do this as a matter of course.  I'm not saying YOU are going to do that--I'm just saying, from Neil's position, he has to be very careful about unsolicited submissions.  Regardless of the question you asked, what you sent to Alison could be construed as an unsolicited submission by them.  I read what you said in your letter, but maybe that's not enough for them from a legal standpoint and it's their job to protect Neil.  If they take the stance that it will be thrown away then that would certainly discourage anyone from sending more of what ever they are sending.  Although I do think the lawyer could have been nicer about it--it's not his job to be nice--it's his job to protect Neil.  You see where I'm coming from?  I hope you do.  It probably has absolutely nothing to do with you or your work.  Try not to let this get you down too much and hang in there.  You still have Sweet C and your friends here.  As a side comment...If you are serious about writing you might take a course or two in creative writing or writing poetry and/or join a writer's group. They can be very supportive and instructional and your natural talent and ability will grow from that.  If you truly want to write don't let this incident stop you!  It is your divine right to express yourself creatively--whether or not Neil ever reads anything you ever produce--and you should go for it if that's what you want.  Hugs, MM

Comment by Melissa B on February 23, 2012 at 7:37am

Suzanne, all I know is what you've written here, but it sounds to me like the best thing to do is let it go and drop all communication.  Enjoy Neil's music, but don't contact any of Neil's people again. 

Comment by Suzanne Stroop on February 22, 2012 at 10:57pm

This is the letter I just finished writing to the attorney. I could not sleep, so I tried to explain to him what had happened. -- Now that my anger is abated somewhat, I think I can explain to you what happened.  Because Alison had been so kind to me, and because everyone who had read what I had written said that I should find some way to make it into a book, I emailed Alison. The date of the email was January 26.  I sent her another poem that I had written along with a question in the subject area.  My question was this: Did I need Neil's ok to write a book dedicated to him.  I realized that she was very busy and also realized later that week that a lot of people had written unauthorized biographys, and that his name was plastered all over the internet without his approval.  Therefore, I began to put everything into a small book. I was so excited, that I emailed her with an attachment.  That attachment was a copy of everything I had written along with the cover and the dedication page. I never meant for her to buy it!!! Nor did I mean for her to tell Neil, to endorse it herself, or anything like that.  I even said in that last email that if he never read it, then so be it.

I am not a stalker. I am a sixty two year old woman who has loved this man in my own way since I was 16 years old, before he ever had a band and not long after his first single came out.  He happened to be traveling with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars, and ended up in St. Petersburg, Florida. The first place I ever saw him, and the day my young heart melted.

So, after all these years, because I found a web site with thousands of women just like me who shared the same feelings I have, somehow all of these short poems and two small stories came spilling out. The were only meant as a giant THANK YOU. A thank you for all he has given us over the years.  The poems also encompassed my memories and feelings regarding growing up and growing older and my love for him as I aged. If you had read them you might have found them to be quite sincere.

So now you have broken this old ladies heart.  I never meant to do any harm, and because someone misunderstood what my email meant and didn't bother to find out, everything that was in my heart is now gone.

I WOULD APPRECIATE A RESPOSE FROM YOU AS I HAVE TRIED MY BEST TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.  I would also appreciate you telling Alison what transpired, or at least, forward this to her so she does not think that I am some awful person. Maybe it would help if you listened to REMEMBER ME because I do and always will remember him- but only with love in my heart. I truly believe that he would never want someone's feeling to be torn upby dumping them into the garbage.  Thank you for reading this. Suzanne Stroop

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