Tom Edsall, a Washington Post reporter, also spotted Lott's remarks in The Note. "I saw it in cold print, and it really stood out," he said.
It was something of a palate cleanser after the print and it was as crisp as a winter morning with sharp jackets, wide trousers and fluid dresses.
There is enough evidence to prove that there will be print, and it will continue to be in many forms and be available in many places.
Although the book has never made an American best-seller list, Ms. Cross has made good on her second chance: nearly 100,000 copies of "Pope Joan" are in print and it is gaining, not losing, momentum.
It was rejected by more than 23 publishers and so, in 1981, he published it himself; it has never since been out of print and it formed the basis of a BBC documentary in the 1980s.
The book has never gone out of print, and it became the foundation for more than a hundred and fifty sequels, a dedicated museum in Connecticut, and, two years ago, an animated film.
