Conrad Black: How he signed books when he was stuck in Chicago (by court order)
Many people know that Conrad M. Black, the media baron who was sentenced last week to six and a half years in prison, is also a serious author, with weighty biographies of Richard M. Nixon and Franklin D. Roosevelt under his belt.
But since his conviction in July on charges of fraud and obstruction of justice, Mr. Black has had to confine his movements to Chicago, the site of his trial, and Palm Beach, where he has a home. Given that his Nixon book, subtitled “A Man in Full,” was published this year, the restrictions have put a serious crimp on any potential book tour.
A device called the LongPen, however, has helped Mr. Black deal with his short leash. Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist, created it in 2004 so that she could meet remotely with fans, chatting with them by videoconference and signing their books with a touchpad, which conveyed her handwriting from her home to an autopen in the bookstore.
Read entire article at NYT
But since his conviction in July on charges of fraud and obstruction of justice, Mr. Black has had to confine his movements to Chicago, the site of his trial, and Palm Beach, where he has a home. Given that his Nixon book, subtitled “A Man in Full,” was published this year, the restrictions have put a serious crimp on any potential book tour.
A device called the LongPen, however, has helped Mr. Black deal with his short leash. Margaret Atwood, the Canadian novelist, created it in 2004 so that she could meet remotely with fans, chatting with them by videoconference and signing their books with a touchpad, which conveyed her handwriting from her home to an autopen in the bookstore.