I actually saw and touched (!) the typescript copy Marge had in the Archives at the time of Betty Pesek's memorial service, so I can vouch for the fact that there were zero burn marks on it. And no hint of smoke.
As far as I could tell, that copy was not fake either. Maybe we could dust it for Joe's fingerprints. Or, far more likely, Lyn's.
And there was no indication that what we have now was just a preliminary draft.
As some of us know, there WAS a fire in the Carriage House at the original location of the Evanston Institute of Ecumenical Studies. And some stuff in storage got burned. Apparently not this copy.
But maybe the story about being lost in a fire dates back to Joe's Austin days. Or before that in Dallas or Rochester. I wouldn't put it past him to wink and say, in effect, 'That's dead history.'
Or possibly Joe and Lyn decided NOT to submit this revised/final draft after his dissertation committee rejected his earlier version.
That's SO like him to say, 'I'm not gonna jump through that hoop again!' and risk another rejection. He WAS stubborn that way. And very proud of his research and writing and masterful teaching.
So I would say, 'Good on ya, Joe. Got more important fish to fry!'
I'm curious about what inspired the Archives team to 'resurrect' it in digital form.
Comments?
Marshall