Biographers go into a professional swoon over stories that some famous person has made a bonfire of a portion of his or her correspondence, or that notebooks in an archive are embargoed until the year 2050.
I think that, in the unlikely event that I were to become famous, I'd make a point of leaving a big box in my attic marked "Private! Burn to ash without examination within the week of my death, or my dying curse will rest upon you!"
It would contain, of course, nothing but old takeaway menus, grocery lists, and other meaningless truck. That way, there would be a mystery for biographers to ponder even if someone cheated and had a look at it.
I've heard tell of an elderly lady from a distinguished family, a pillar-of-the-community type, who left such a box which, when it was burnt in the garden of her country house, proved to contain fireworks. That strikes me as a bit much, but this allegedly took place in the Twenties, and pranks were more vigourous then.
I admire her spirit, even if she was an urban legend. ;-)
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Biographers go into a professional swoon over stories that some famous person has made a bonfire of a portion of his or her correspondence, or that notebooks in an archive are embargoed until the year 2050.
I think that, in the unlikely event that I were to become famous, I'd make a point of leaving a big box in my attic marked "Private! Burn to ash without examination within the week of my death, or my dying curse will rest upon you!"
It would contain, of course, nothing but old takeaway menus, grocery lists, and other meaningless truck. That way, there would be a mystery for biographers to ponder even if someone cheated and had a look at it.
I've heard tell of an elderly lady from a distinguished family, a pillar-of-the-community type, who left such a box which, when it was burnt in the garden of her country house, proved to contain fireworks. That strikes me as a bit much, but this allegedly took place in the Twenties, and pranks were more vigourous then.
I admire her spirit, even if she was an urban legend. ;-)