A dry hardcover in a perpetually wet corridor - placed, not dropped

A dry hardcover in a perpetually wet corridor - placed, not dropped A dry hardcover book sat spine-out on a concrete ledge that always held water after four days of rain - not a drop on it - and a meter reader photographed it at 9:47 AM on March 11, 2019. That photograph later became the first documented evidence in a fraud case, but why was the author name on the spine not the writer who had poured years into that manuscript? In this episode, we follow the sequence of events from the morning the book was found to the discovery that a completed memoir had been published under another name, and we trace the relationships and routines that allowed that switch to happen. What happened between a two-thousand-dollar retainer, carefully catalogued daily rhythms, and a publisher calling Todd's sister for royalties? Person: Jean Duncan Date: March 11, 2019 Location: 42 Bellard Place, Crestwood, Ohio Author (on spine): Margaret Alcott Manuscript title: A Thousand Small Surrenders - The book was photographed at 9:47 AM by meter reader Jean Duncan. - It had been raining steadily in Crestwood, Ohio for four days prior to March 11, 2019. - Todd Carlson paid a $2,000 development retainer to Carl Hamilton in fall 2016. - Hamilton was 50 years old and ran Hamilton Meridian Literary from a two-room suite in downtown Crestwood. - Linden Road Books published A Thousand Small Surrenders in October 2018 and contacted Pam Carlson for royalty mailing information. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].