Miscellanea: book related and not
Dec. 11th, 2006 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksIs it something in the water? The approaching holidays? Do we all just need to get laid? I don't know, but it seems like literary spats are abounding. The two that I've been watching are the McEwan-Andrews acknowledgement/plagiarism one, which is being discussed and followed over at Smart Bitches, and the Dear Author-Holly Lisle exchange.
I'm very interested in the McEwan matter, as it is showing the uglier side of publishing, IMO, including the jump to conclusions, villification of the person who brought the matter (acknowledgement, not plagiarism), and the knee jerk reaction of the publishing establishment to protect an author that they value...at the expense of a non-member.
I'm less interested in the Lisle-DA matter for a couple of reasons. First, I think Lisle, who may not have been an "Author Behaving Badly" originally, is beating a dead horse. The Janes posted an opinion and quotes directly from her website. How can that possibly be a lie or defamation? And she's asking for an apology for their opinion? Uh, okay. No. Second, the defensive comments are not impressing me. Third, I read Lisle's original post before DA wrote and before Lisle posted a follow up. I thought it spoke down to readers, as if we couldn't understand the business of bookselling and that she in her goodness was educating us. While I think her plan may not have been to alienate readers and booksellers, she certainly did. I bought Talyn after the initial post, but now that I've watched the other posting go on, I'm considering returning it. :shrug: Depends how busy I get this week and whether I'm willing to brave the shopping center where Borders is located in order to return it. We'll see.
I scanned a bunch of old photos this weekend, and I can't resist posting a couple.
Talk about roly poly babies!
Is he not the orneriest looking thing? Seems like all of his photos have that little grin.
In this case, he jumped out of the bath and was trying to surprise my aunt (long before she was my aunt). Surprise on him! She grabbed a camera and chased him down the hall; his giggling gave away his hiding place.
I'm very interested in the McEwan matter, as it is showing the uglier side of publishing, IMO, including the jump to conclusions, villification of the person who brought the matter (acknowledgement, not plagiarism), and the knee jerk reaction of the publishing establishment to protect an author that they value...at the expense of a non-member.
I'm less interested in the Lisle-DA matter for a couple of reasons. First, I think Lisle, who may not have been an "Author Behaving Badly" originally, is beating a dead horse. The Janes posted an opinion and quotes directly from her website. How can that possibly be a lie or defamation? And she's asking for an apology for their opinion? Uh, okay. No. Second, the defensive comments are not impressing me. Third, I read Lisle's original post before DA wrote and before Lisle posted a follow up. I thought it spoke down to readers, as if we couldn't understand the business of bookselling and that she in her goodness was educating us. While I think her plan may not have been to alienate readers and booksellers, she certainly did. I bought Talyn after the initial post, but now that I've watched the other posting go on, I'm considering returning it. :shrug: Depends how busy I get this week and whether I'm willing to brave the shopping center where Borders is located in order to return it. We'll see.
I scanned a bunch of old photos this weekend, and I can't resist posting a couple.
Talk about roly poly babies!
Is he not the orneriest looking thing? Seems like all of his photos have that little grin.
In this case, he jumped out of the bath and was trying to surprise my aunt (long before she was my aunt). Surprise on him! She grabbed a camera and chased him down the hall; his giggling gave away his hiding place.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-12 01:39 am (UTC)The ongoing HL/DA arguments, however, just make me tired. My original post title was meant to be tongue and cheek since Lisle's original post didn't bother me so much as leave me bemused (given that she was a genre author lashing out at chains). Her followup where she linked to me as "angry" just increased my bemusement. Originally I thought about responding with ways to get around the "selling to the net" philosphy, but now I just do not want to be involved.
I must add, though, that those are some adorable pictures.
Bookseller Chick
no subject
Date: 2006-12-12 01:00 pm (UTC)Re Lisle, I understand that she feels her words were misinterpreted. But I don't understand the jump to "lying". She comes off (IMO) looking sloppy (as to her word selection originally), defensive (about others interpretations of her words), and insistent on having the last word, when the better strategy might have been to let it go.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-12 11:19 am (UTC)I can just make out the pictures. Okay, does that make the little guy your Dad?
CindyS
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Date: 2006-12-12 12:48 pm (UTC)The little guy is my "little" brother at about age 4. He was trying to surprise my boy-uncle's girlfriend (now wife), Kellee, who thought he was just the cutest little thing.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-13 12:13 pm (UTC)CindyS