Press Releases & Statements

4/13/09: Clarification on the Authorship of Until Our Last Breath

The decision by St. Martin's Press to call Michael Bart the author and me the writer of Until Our Last Breath has resulted in a great deal of confusion and misinformation. Numerous articles and reviews have explicitly or implicitly attributed the writing in the book to Mr. Bart, based on the assumption that if he is the author he must also be the primary writer. As I explain in more detail in the Q&As and one of the blog entries on this site, I am the sole author in the usual meaning of the word, since I wrote the entire book. Mr. Bart's contribution of his findings from many years of research into his parents' wartime lives gave him an essential, but non-writing role.

I appreciate your efforts to use the word "author" as it is commonly understood, and to represent both Mr. Bart's and my roles accurately. In the possibility that it may be helpful to you, here are several appropriate wordings:

• "Until Our Last Breath was written by Laurel Corona with research by Michael Bart."

• "Michael Bart shared his years of research with Laurel Corona, who wrote Until Our Last Breath."

• "In writing Until Our Last Breath, author Laurel Corona relied heavily on Bart's years of research into his parents' wartime lives."

Please feel free to copy or adapt these as needed. I can be reached by e-mail if you need any further information about the book, or would like to create a link from my site to your article.

Thank you!