Famous Writers School - Aftermath

Aftermath

When the piece was published, the Atlantic Monthly was sent more than 300 letters by students who "felt they had been swindled and who wanted to get out of the contract." Mitford was invited onto numerous television programs, her article was read into the legislative record in Utah and attorneys general in several states initiated lawsuits against the school. The school's stock steadily declined, and in 1972, the school filed for bankruptcy, although Mitford noted in 1974 that the school was "creeping back." According to Bill Vogelsang, the nephew of Mignon Eberhart, Cerf had warned her, and presumably other members of the Guided faculty, to sell their stock in the school, which she allegedly refused to do.

In the early 1970s the National Lampoon published a parody of the Famous Writers School teaching material. Written by Michael O'Donoghue, it was titled "How to Write Good", with a real quote at the beginning from Eliot Foster, Director of Admissions, Famous Writers School.

A novel by Steven Carter entitled Famous Writers School was published in 2006. It dealt with a man who runs a correspondence course and consists of lessons he mails to his students and the writing samples they send back.

As of October 2009, a group in Wilton, Connecticut, calling itself the Famous Writers School still exists, selling a course and set of books identical to those of the original Famous Writers School.