We’ve heard from Sherry Jones, author of THE JEWEL OF MEDINA, the novel cancelled by Ballantine covered in yesterday’s Lunch. Jones tells us that “because of my termination agreement with Random House, I am prohibited from commenting on the circumstances surrounding that termination.” But from her perspective, “Despite Random House’s statement, I’m not aware of any warnings of possible terrorist attack from any other source than Denise Spellberg. I know that Shahed Amanullah’s email had nothing to do with any of this, because I was the one who discovered it, and the resulting discussion, on the Husaini Youths website. “Although […]
Cancelled
The Novel About Muhammed Cancelled by Ballantine
A WSJ opinion column by Asra Nomani recounts the events that produced Ballantine’s cancellation in May of Sherry Jones’s debut novel THE JEWEL OF MEDINA, “a tale of lust, love and intrigue in the prophet Muhammed’s harem.” Nomani says “the series of events that torpedoed this novel are a window into how quickly fear stunts intelligent discourse about the Muslim world.” Random House Group deputy publisher Tom Perry says that the company received “from credible and unrelated sources, cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that […]
Robert Downey Jr. Cancels Memoir
Robert Downey Jr. can’t handle the truth written on paper–or at least he prefers not do so at 2006 prices now that Iron Man was hit. The AP reports that the actor has returned his advance to Harper after having signed to provide a “candid look at the highs and lows of his life and career.” The wire notes that spokeseperson Britney Ross of Rogers & Cowan “declined to say why Downey wouldn’t be writing the book.”AP