“Afterlife: The Strange Fate of Literary Remains,” by David Wyatt, Louisiana State University Press, 252 pages

Unlike many other forms of art, works of literature never seem to rest.

Can you imagine if someone decided to tweak the smile on the Mona Lisa? Or add a pair of boxer shorts to Michelangelo's David (although some have tried)? The only comparable art form that undergoes regular change after its release to the public is film, but those alterations are less common, unless George Lucas is involved.

Publishing the written word has always been a fluid exercise, going from the author to an editor or two — or more — before finding its way to the printing press, or now a website. And this creative process can continue even after the author has passed this life.

Author David Wyatt explo

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