Unlock the Hidden Legal Secrets Every Publisher Needs to Know – Ask the Expert Now!
Ever penned a sprawling poem that’s part memoir, part Americana—but hit a brick wall when editors balk at real names and trademarked words? That’s exactly the twist Richard Atwood, an octogenarian with a heart full of nostalgia, stumbled upon after decades of trying to publish his six-page homage to a one-room country schoolhouse. Imagine the frustration: heartfelt memories tangled in legal red tape because you dared to mention Mrs. Klepper’s china closet or toss in a “Kleenex” instead of a bland “tissue.” How do we balance preserving the authentic sparkle of storytelling with the iron fist of permissions and trademarks? Buckle up, because this is where art, law, and the eternal quest for that perfect rhyme collide. LEARN MORE
I am 81. Back in the mid-60’s, while stationed in Germany, I wrote a poem concerning my childhood experiences in a one-room country schoolhouse. I have since tried to get it published in various journals over the years; it has gone through several versions as it is a long poem of six pages, in a semi-scattered format on the pages… but while I think it is a sterling piece of Americana, no one has ever accepted it, nor given me any reason why not. Within the poem I used the teacher’s real last name, as well as those first names (nick names) of some of the students, and even such references as to Mrs. Klepper’s china closet that was on sale at an auction nearby, and the names of some local farmer’s where the school did business or us kids passed by. Now I am hearing that I cannot do that — even if most of those particpants are long ago deceased — unless I would have those people’s or their relatives’ legal permissions to do so. I think this is ridiculous, as it is a memoir-piece, and no one was in any way defamed in the poem. It is also the last poem in a planned to be self-published book one day, and is sort of important to be included in the ms. What is the rule on this?
RICHARD ATWOOD
June 13, 2025 at 4:43 am