I was called aggressive for criticising passages in Kate Clanchy’s memoir. But the real problem lies deep in the overwhelmingly white world of publishingIt started with a tweet. Kate Clanchy, author of Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me posted on her Twitter account that a reviewer on Goodreads had “made up a racist quote and said it was in my book”. She urged her almost 40,000 followers to flag the review that claimed she had bigoted views on race, class and body image, and had used terms such as “chocolate-coloured skin” and “Jewish noses”. Prominent authors and columnists swooped in to offer support, decrying how Clanchy could possibly be subjected to such inhumane treatment – including the current president of the Society of Authors, Philip Pullman, who declared: “But of all the people and of all the books to have had this happen … It’s hard to stay optimistic about the human race sometimes.”However, it soon emerged that those terms were, in fact, in the book. Incredulous that antisemitic and anti-Black tropes could have made it into a book published as recently as 2019, I downloaded and read it. I recoiled as a Somali boy is described as having a “narrow skull”, while one Muslim girl is “very butch-looking … with a distinct moustache”, and another “looked brilliant because she has such a strong skull shape”, which sounds more like something a eugenicist might observe than a trusted teacher. There is a troubling exchange where Clanchy is baffled by a boy who,... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2021-08-13 13:51:20 UTC ]
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The surging popularity of the Kindle and Nook allows publishers to offer Spanish-language books in the U.S. at far lower prices than for printed copies. For decades, finding Spanish-language books in the U.S. was like tilting at windmills. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This month, Dan Kois, David Haglund, and Emily Bazelon discuss James McBride’s National Book Award winner for fiction, The Good Lord Bird. The novel makes a farcical cross-dressing comedy of John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, paints Frederick Douglass as a drunken letch, and generally takes an... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adolf Hitler's anti-Semitic political testament, "Mein Kampf" is surging up electronic book best seller lists, even as sales of the printed version have been stagnant for years. Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Academic Yejin Choi says her algorithm can predict 'highly successful literature' with 84% accuracyAuthors, publishers and literary critics struggling to unlock the secrets of successful writing can breathe a sigh of relief, after a computer science professor has announced an algorithm that can... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although Time Inc. began publishing books that combined the resources of its Time and Life magazines in 1961, Time-Life Books (T-L Books) was not officially established until 1964. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The trailer for Gary Shteyngart's memoir 'Little Failure' features James Franco and Rashida Jones. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW's annual post-Christmas survey of two dozen bookstores across the country didn't turn up any blockbusters on a level with last year's Hunger Games trilogy; instead, shoppers gravitated to a mix of children's books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the first of the year, the Hardcover Binders International/Library Binding Institute (HBI/LBI) merged with the Book Manufactures’ Institute. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeremy Dooley created a new book--and an original font--to tutor tots on typeface.They say necessity is the mother of invention, but new parenthood isn't bad for coming up with new ideas either. "After my son was born, I found that his very simple books started me thinking about a lot of basic... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The last time The New York Times embarked on a wholesale redesign of its Web site, in 2006, the iPhone wasn't on the market. Tablets like the iPad were still years away. So the new design that The Times is unveiling Wednesday is generating mu ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Italian publishing is struggling, but the recent book fair in Rome offered signs of vitality and reflected a strong commitment to carry on. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five top UK authors, including Kate Atkinson and Lucy Hughes-Hallet, are in competition for the Costa Book of the Year. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The press announced the January 7 publication of its third batch of short-form digital reads, Chicago Shorts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US-based book recommendation and retail site Bookish has been acquired by ebook start-up Zola... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Haber of Brazos Bookstore in Houston argues that selling Spanish language books in the US is a challenging responsibility with unexpected rewards. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of printed books fell by £98m last year - down 6.5% on 2012, figures show. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Weldon, c.e.o. Penguin Random House UK Lessons from 2013 include: the shift to online sales... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Christine Shubert, the trustee overseeing the Chapter 7 proceedings of Good Enterprises, has asked the bankruptcy court to give Good Books’ distributor, Simon & Schuster, the authority to continue to sell the company’s titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This month’s starred reviews of self-published books includes a pair of notable new novels, one about dysfunctional childhood in Western and another about a busy single mother. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Phil Robertson was temporarily removed from 'Duck Dynasty' after he made controversial comments in an interview. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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