Talk:Denis Wood

Book on prison experience?
The 1998 News & Observer article mentions a book called "Soft Time in a Hard Place" that was supposedly to be published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

An Amazon page about one of Wood's books says "Wood's book about that experience, Soft Time in a Hard Place, was commissioned by John Hopkins University Press. It will be published in 2002."

His bio at ODT says "From 1996 to 1998 Wood served two years in prison. Wood’s book about that experience, My Kind of Time, was commissioned by John Hopkins University Press. It will be published in 2006 by Center for American Places."

The Center for American Places website lists "My Kind of Time" to be published as part of a series of "My Kind" books beginning in 2009, but there's no further information. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.170.22.220 (talk) 13:35, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

books] says "Wood's book about that experience, Soft Time in a Hard Place, was commissioned by John Hopkins University Press. It will be published in 2002."

His bio at ODT says "From 1996 to 1998 Wood served two years in prison. Wood’s book about that experience, My Kind of Time, was commissioned by John Hopkins University Press. It will be published in 2006 by Center for American Places."

The Center for American Places website lists "My Kind of Time" to be published as part of a series of "My Kind" books beginning in 2009, but there's no further information.

I believe the material should be removed for two reason:

1. Wood's importance is as a historian of cartography and of cartogrpahic art. According to the guidelines in the biography section, for folk like Wood with limited public presence the biography should focus on the area of his or her expertise and fame. Wood's sexual orientation does not fit that bill.

2. The material employed in describing Wood's arrest, guilty plea, and imprisonment is incomplete and slanted. The felony with which Wood was charged was not "molesting a child" but what North Carolina law called "unnatural acts". These included in that penal code, fellatio between males. The other participant was a teenager above the age of consent but still a minor.

3. Similarly, Wood's statement in the newspaper that he did not know what a molestor was was part of a broader argument about the social construction of acts and their values.

Let me suggest a complete rewrite of the page, one that recognizes the facts of Wood's importance and puts them in perspective. I'll load one for others to read.--Tomkoch (talk) 18:08, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

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Denis Wood Wiki_arrest and incarceration

I understand the rationale for this material. It is, however, neither accurate nor really well sourced. Wood's conviction was for "crimes against nature" (fellatio), for example. And the newspaper quotes are out of context and don't answer the complexity of the situation. This is not to excuse any acts but it is one thing to be called a "molester" of children, another thing to be guilty of "crimes against nature" under the laws of North Carolina. Molesters, for example, remain on watch lists and Wood is not on a state or national list of sex offenders.

To say Wood has used his "prison experience as fodder for a presentation at a professional conference" is one thing. One might also say "Wood has applied his training as a social geographer and theorist to understanding his prison experience. The result has been conference presentations and a book in press." The first implies by its use of "fodder" something the second does not.

Because I think the biography does not adequately describe Wood's place in his field, or reflect these issues, I've written an alternate biography that encorporates the material from this Wiki into a new, more comprehensive page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Tomkoch/Denis_Wood.

In developing the page I've been working with Mendaliv http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Mendaliv) on its construction. I'm hoping the anonymous of author of the earlier Wiki will agree that this both presents the facts and does so in an unprejudiced manner. I'm hoping to upload a photograph as well ... once I figure out how to do that. The goal is a good, complete, unbiased biography to which others may add.

--24.80.226.115 (talk) 17:14, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Include information on arrest & incarceration?
The charge in law against Wood was "crimes against nature," by which NC law meant fellatio, and taking indecent liberties with a minor. If this legal history is relevant, and I don't disagree that it may be,it should be sourced not to a newspaper headline but to the charge in law. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tomkoch (talk • contribs) 18:25, 6 April 2009 (UTC)

I added some basic information about Denis Wood's arrest, guilty plea, and imprisonment for molesting a child. I think it belongs here for several reasons -- it's well-sourced, it's a subject that comes up periodically (so people who have heard about it might come to Wikipedia looking for the facts), he's supposedly writing a book about the experience, and he's used the prison experience as fodder for a presentation at a professional conference. Arguably, it also might affect the way people consider some of his writings, especially about the home environment ("Home Rule"), children, and issues of power and control.

HOWEVER, I can certainly see why others might think this shouldn't be included ... so feel free to edit or remove what I've added. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 129.170.22.220 (talk) 13:58, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

Page Substitution
Please note:

I have proposed a new wiki be substituted for this page. The suggested substitution is at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Tomkoch/Denis_Wood.

The reason is two-fold. First, this page seems to do an inadequate job of describing, and deeply referencing, the work of its subject in the history of mapping and cartographic history. Secondly, it's focus on the subject's conviction, sourced only to newspaper stories, seems biased and out of proportion to the general thrust of Wood's intellectual work. While I don't disagree with the inclusion of Wood's legal history it is very much secondary to the real contributions he has made to mapping as a social reality as well as a technical enterprise. I have therefore asked for, and suggested the new wiki replace this existing one. --Tomkoch (talk) 19:31, 23 February 2009 (UTC)
 * What you've written is a very worthy and significant effort, but it should be worked into (and clearly become the majority of), rather replace, what's there. Thanks, 65.246.126.130 (talk) 20:15, 3 April 2009 (UTC)

I believe this contentious information should better be removed, for being a very selective, singled-out, and moreover, unclear 'fact' that is irrelevant for Wood's intensely debated and questioned, but indisputable important contributions understandings of cartography. If not taken out we should at least also look for 'good', 'moral' deeds in Wood's biography. Maybe once he helped to cross an old lady a busy street. I think a biography should concentrate on Wood as a cartographer, and historian of cartography. Sex-offender is a sign with a huge connotative meaning, that easily spills over to the reputation of his scholarly and artistic contributions to cartography. Jan van der Weijst

STUB: Denis Wood, Changes.
This revision of the bio' of Denis Wood attempts to correct inaccuracies in the previous bio and to include material on Wood's writing and work. This is, after all, about a livinig Amering Writer and the bio' as presented had nothing on that. The earlier STUB ignores the work of the American writer except for passing mention. That should be it's focus. Wikipedia guidelines insist that work on living authors focus on...their writing and work. The earlier biographer did not do that. I have attempted to add that material.

Other changes have been made to limit the likely hood of libel charges and to correct inaccuracies. These include:

Inaccuracies include:

1. Wood was not charged with "molesting a minor". He was charged under NC law with "crimes against nature" (viz. fellatio) and "taking indecent liberties with a minor". This is a far cry from seven years of "molestation" reported by the prevous writer. A news headline is not a legal conviction or charge.

2. Included here is the fact that Wood is not now on any national or state registry of sex offenders as he might be were the previous suggestion of seven years active moestation accurate.

3. The "molestation" did not occur over seven years. The boy in question was closely associated with the Woods for seven years. The physical relations occurred over a period less than 18 months. It is this period that was described during the court proceedings.

3. It is unclear why the youth in question choose not to take up the wrestling scholarship the Woods helped him secure. Since it was to be at a school outside of Raleigh, and he was not named in public records, the "shame" was unlikely a reason.

4. That no civil damages were awarded to the boy or his father is made to sound here as an accusation. The non-suit, non-damages is carries here an odor of innuendo and has no place in a StUB whose ostensible purpose is the biography of an american writer.

5. Wood's book on his prison experience is "in press" and scheduled for publication from The Center for American Places whose distributor is Univ. of Chicago Press. As the author of now 14 books I can attest that the road from accepted proposal to publication is often long. That it is scheduled for publication should be sufficient.

6. The author says Wood promised to publish three books on the prison experience. My memory of the news story is that it was one book, and that is the one mentioned above.

--Tomkoch (talk) 19:36, 6 April 2009 (UTC)