Following the announcement of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation as governor of New York, the NYT revisits the “ethical and financial” headaches of American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic — even though the book has been functionally dead for months (selling approximately 350 hardcovers since the beginning of April). As they note, the book significantly underperformed the $5.1 million advance and first printing of over 450,000 copies from the very start. (Last summer’s auction is now characterized, without sourcing, as “frenzied.”) The paper claims “questions remained about whether Crown will pay the remainder of his advance,” presumably referring to the […]
Controversies
ABA Follows Up With Members After Offensive Incidents
ABA ceo Allison Hill sent a follow-up letter to members on Aug 5, explaining how recent incidents happened and detailing plans for the future. On the inclusion of the “anti-trans book” in the July white box mailing, the letter explains that up until now there has been no oversight into what is included in the boxes. While publishers do pay for white box inclusion, the ABA reports that they still lose money on it, which they “consider a service to members….” “Until now, no one has ever reviewed or screened the titles submitted by publishers. It has been a pay-to-play […]
Hay Festival Founder Resigns After Investigation
Hay literary festival founder and director Peter Florence has resigned after the board upheld an independent investigation over an internal allegation of bullying. Florence was suspended in October, and the board will now be looking for a new director. In a statement, Florence criticized the process, saying: “I consider that my role had become untenable due to the conduct of the board and its insistence on holding a disciplinary hearing in my absence whilst I was off sick following a breakdown.” The organization said, “This decision followed a thorough and extensive process, which considered substantial supporting evidence. As the board […]
ABA Apologizes for Sending Paperback of Anti-Trans Book In July White Box
The American Booksellers Association received backlash online after including the paperback edition of Regnery’s Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters in the July White Box mailing, along with a promotional sales sheet. The book has been criticized as transphobic, and is the source of other controversies, including complaints from Amazon employees, two of whom resigned in protest over the company selling it. In a statement posted to Twitter Wednesday afternoon, the ABA wrote “An anti-trans book was included in our July mailing to members. This is a serious, violent incident that goes against ABA’s ends policies, values, and […]
UNC Press Responds to Chair Reappointment Controversy
The University of North Carolina Press released a statement yesterday following the refusal of the UNC System Board of Governors to reappoint the Press’s existing and renominated chair Eric Muller, who spoke out about the university’s handling of race and history. Vice chair of the UNC Press board Lisa Levenstein and director of UNC Press John Sherer write that many individuals and organizations have “rightfully voiced support for the reelection of Eric Muller,” who “served tirelessly and brilliantly as chair of the board during one of the most successful periods in the history of the Press.” While underscoring the Press’s […]
UNC Press Chair Denied Reappointment
Professor Eric Muller, chair of the University of North Carolina Press Board of Governors, announced on Twitter that the university’s board of governors has, in an unprecedented move, denied his reappointment to the board. Muller has served two five-year terms on the board, six of which as chairman. “I would hate to think it had something to do with my public commentary in recent years on matters of law, race, and history,” he wrote. “I would hate to think it had something to do with my focusing public attention on ways in which the law has ignored and harmed the […]