North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[prcenter@webtv.net]

I have been concerned about the situation regarding the re-publication of the 
NAFEX "Handbook for Fruit Explorers", and/or the possibuility of putting it 
on the NAFEX website. I called Ram Fishman yesterday morning to get an idea 
of the actual situation and his personal view on it.

He mentioned that he sent a proposal to NAFEX regarding publication of the 
handbook about two years ago. From what I understand, the proposal was not 
accepted. He said no reason was specified. He also said he has a letter sent 
to him by the secretary stating that at the time NAFEX was willing to 
relinquish copyright if he wanted to re-issue the handbook himself.

He says he has not heard from anyone from NAFEX as of that date (about two 
years ago) and was very happy to hear from another NAFEX member after all 
that time.

Needless to say I was amazed and dubfounded on a number of fronts. I had 
mistakenly assumed he would be very actiive in matters concerning NAFEX and 
the Handbook and quite possibly would not have time to talk.

Most evidently... the recent POMONA stated on page 76:

"Motion was made and seconded that the legalities be investigated of 
publishing on our web site the NAFEX Handbook which copyright is jointly 
owned by NAFEX and the author. Motion carried."...

My amazement is in regard to the apparent circumstance that the "author" (Ram 
Fishman), as of yesterday at least, has yet to be contacted regarding these 
plans (the meeting was august 10th) infact has not been contacted by anyone 
from NAFEX in two years. He seemed delighted to hear from another NAFEX 
member.

He does not own a computer and does not have e-mail. He says he and his wife 
Marissa have plans to get a computer in the near future though, he says, he 
is someting of a "technophobe".

He is sending a copy of the origional proposal and requested that it be 
posted here on the e-list.

I did get a sense he had hopes of getting the handbook published again. He 
was interested in the idea of making the handbook available on the Web site 
though he was hopeful of receiving "regular royalties" generally due an 
author. I'm not entirely sure these two possibuilities are mutually exclusive.

If I hear a song I like on the radio... It may motivate me to go out and buy 
the Tape or CD...  If I didn't get it "FREE" through the radio I woldn't know 
it even existed. 

Publication on the website could actually increase sales of the print version 
of the book... which otherwise might never see the light of day. This would 
not be the case with a book of little merit. On the Radio people have to 
actually LIKE the song for this to be practical. In this case I think many 
people, including myself, would want a personal copy of the NAFEX Handbook.

He spoke of the handbook as his willing "Gift to NAFEX".

Nafex made this handbook available to members for $5 a copy.  This price, I 
assume, covered little if anything more than the cost of printing and postage.

Ram Fishman and his wife Marissa obviously put alot of work into this 
beautiful publication. In a subsequent letter I expressed how much their gift 
was appreciated.

Tom Booth


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