In a new interview with the Boston Globe, Junot Diaz denied allegations of sexual misconduct raised in May by Zinzi Clemmons. Clemmons said Diaz forcibly kissed her after a Columbia University workshop, but Diaz countered the allegation, saying, “I did not kiss anyone. I did not forcibly kiss Zinzi Clemmons. I did not kiss Zinzi Clemmons. It didn’t happen.” Diaz’s initial statement at the time, through his agent Nicole Aragi, was, “I take responsibility for my past. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important […]
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Printer Edwards Brothers Malloy to Close
Edwards Brothers Malloy ceo John Edwards and cfo Bill Upton announced Thursday “with heavy hearts” that the company is “closing our doors, effective immediately. As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for our employees as we work through the process of shutting down our facilities while finishing projects for our customers with work in-house.” (Their website indicates that winding down will conclude on June 15The book-manufacturing and printing company has been in business for 125 years. In February they had announced plans to eliminate 100 jobs by the end of 2018 as part of a consolidation of their facilities. […]
Briefs: Tokarczuk Wins The Booker International, and More
Awards Flights by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft, won the Booker International Prize. (Riverhead is scheduled to publish in the US on August 24.) Initiatives Hachette Book Group has launched an online community for mystery and thriller fans, Novel Suspects. “The centerpiece will be the very best books in the genre–from HBG as well as all other publishers,” and promising to “fully integrate other publishers’ titles into the fabric of the site.” SVP marketing strategy Heather Fain calls it “a truly comprehensive catalog of all the books and authors [fans] love paired with fun and lighthearted short-form articles, listicles, videos and […]
Briefs: RT Book Reviews Closing, Macmillan’s 175th, and the CBS Lawsuit
Closing Romance book magazine RT Book Reviews, as well as the RT Booklovers Convention, are shutting down effective immediately. Founder Kathryn Falk announced at the latest convention in Reno that she and her husband, co-owner Kevin Rubin are retiring and the Reno convention would be the last. The magazine will not produce any more issues, but will remain available online for a year, at which point it will be removed. Falk writes in a message to readers, “After 38 years, I am retiring and ending my participation in publishing. It was a great privilege to have a lifetime experience in […]
Harassment Files: Bryce Milligan Accused Of Misconduct, And More
San Antonio author and publisher of Wings Press Bryce Milligan has been accused of sexual misconduct by Hailey Laine Johnson, his student from 2000 to 2002. In a Facebook post, Johnson alleges that when she was 14, a freshman at North East School of the Arts, Milligan made sexual comments to her on multiple occasions and sexually assaulted her. She writes in part: “he’d kiss my neck when no one was looking, he’d have me sit on his lap while he graded homework.” Johnson goes on, “I did not have the strength to tell him no or to stop because of […]
Harassment Files: Diaz Steps Down As Pulitzer Chair, As Board Investigates; More from Naffis-Sahely
Following recent allegations, Pulitzer Prize board administrator Dana Canedy released a statement about Junot Diaz, who had been elected chairman at the April meeting. The board is conducting “an independent review of allegations of misconduct” and in the meantime, Diaz has “asked to relinquish” his role as chairman, though he remains on the board. The full statement: “The Pulitzer Prize Board has authorized an independent review of allegations of misconduct against one of its own members, Junot Diaz. Mr. Diaz said he welcomed the review and would cooperate fully with it. Mr. Diaz was elected incoming chairman at the board’s […]