To the Point

The Controversy over <I>The Wind Done Gone</I>

Alice Randall calls her The Wind Done Gone a parody of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind, told from the point of view of plantation slaves, but a federal judge has halted its publication, labeling it "unabated piracy." Is the new work a violation of sequel rights or a fresh look at a shadow world in the tradition of the counter-novel? The passionate copyright case lets us examine literary integrity, history, and the perpetuation of racial stereotypes with a lawyer for the Mitchell estate, a first-amendment attorney, a Harvard professor, and novelists, including the author of an authorized sequel. Newsmaker: FEMA Asks "Why no levees?" in Mississippi River Towns - The Mississippi River, still above flood stage, continues to threaten Iowa cities. Though the governor has asked for federal disaster relief, the Federal Emergency Management Agency suggests that the area take prophylactic measures rather than relying on taxpayer bailouts. Davenport Mayor Phil Yerington updates us on the situation in his Iowa city. Reporter's Notebook: President Bush's First 100 Days in Office - Everybody's been talking about George W. Bush's first 100 days in office. Now he's upping the ante by making the rounds of network talk shows to make pronouncements and answer questions about his first 100 days. Tom Edsall, of The Washington Post, shares some observations of his own about the president's performance.