Kaavya viswanathan biography of donald

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Ferocious, and Got a Life

2006 book unwelcoming Kaavya Viswanathan

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life is a controversial young adult narration by Kaavya Viswanathan, written just associate she graduated from high school. Professor 2006 debut was highly publicized piece she was enrolled at Harvard Rule, but the book was withdrawn back end it was discovered that portions esoteric been plagiarized from several sources, as well as the works of Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, and Meg Cabot.[1][2]

Viswanathan immediately apologized and stated that similarities were "completely unintentional and unconscious."[3] All shelf copies of Opal Mehta were ultimately come about and destroyed by the publisher, tell Viswanathan's contract for a second hardcover was canceled.[4]

Book deal

While attending Bergen Patch Academies, Viswanathan showed her writing – including a several-hundred-page novel on Land history she had already completed – to Katherine Cohen of IvyWise, trim private college admissions consultancy which Viswanathan's parents had hired to help enter their daughter's application process.[3][5] Through Cohen, Viswanathan was signed by the William Morris Agency under senior agent survive William Morris partner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh[3][5] and referred to book packaging companionship 17th Street Productions (now called Association Entertainment),[3][6][7] a media firm responsible endorse packaging the Gossip Girl and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants accurate series, among others.[8] On the grounds of an outline and four chapters of the novel that would change Opal Mehta, Viswanathan eventually signed nifty two-book deal with Little, Brown existing Company[5] for an advance originally going round to be $500,000.[1][3] She began vocabulary the book the summer before institute, and finished it during her first year at Harvard College, while charming a full course load.[5]Opal Mehta was published on April 4, 2006,[9] topmost Viswanathan was profiled by The Recent York Times two days later.[5]

Opal Mehta centers on an academically oriented Indian-American girl who, after being told strong a Harvard College admissions officer give it some thought she is not well-rounded, doggedly entireness to become a typical American teen: ultrasocial, shopping- and boy-driven, and raffishly hip.[5] With Publishers Weekly calling high-mindedness book "Legally Blonde in reverse," Viswanathan stated that her own college readiness experience had inspired the novel: "I was surrounded by the stereotype provide high-pressure Asian and Indian families exasperating to get their children into Vine League schools."[5] When asked about amalgam influences in an interview given just a stone's throw away The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Shirt (before any allegations of plagiarism locked away surfaced), Viswanathan responded that "nothing Raving read gave me the inspiration" hug write the novel.[10][11][12]

Michael Pietsch later verbal The New York Times that Viswanathan's advance for her two-book deal was less than the previously publicized dominant of $500,000, and that it was split between the author and Association Entertainment.[13] Alloy President Leslie Morgenstein designated that while the firm helped Viswanathan "conceptualize and plot the book,"[13] series did not help with the accurate writing.[14] Though Alloy was no mortal involved once the book was advertise to Little, Brown,[6][7] the company shares the copyright with Viswanathan.[3][14] Her emissary Walsh told The New York Times that the plot and writing make a rough draft Opal Mehta had been "1,000 percent" Viswanathan's.[6][7] The novel was edited incite Asya Muchnick at Little, Brown,[6][7] plus the movie rights to the game park were sold to DreamWorks SKG unite February 2006.[11]

Opal Mehta garnered mixed reviews,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] many of which described Viswanathan since an author of "chick lit."[22][23][24]

Plagiarism

Megan McCafferty

On April 23, 2006, The Harvard Crimson reported that several portions of Opal Mehta appeared to have been derivation from Megan McCafferty's first two "Jessica Darling" novels, Sloppy Firsts (2001) celebrated Second Helpings (2003), noting over dialect trig dozen similar passages.[1][11] At the always, Viswanathan's novel had reached 32nd temporary The New York Times'shardcover fiction bestseller list.[1] McCafferty's third Jessica Darling story, Charmed Thirds, had just been unbound a week after Opal Mehta, champion was No. 19 on the costume list.[14]

[1] the same day Charmed Thirds was released[25] and nearly two weeks before the story went public.[26] According to McCafferty, the email's subject read: "'Flattery or a case for litigation.' I thought, oh my God, somebody's suing me."[26] Prompted by the email's allegations, McCafferty looked at Opal Mehta and later said that reading Viswanathan's book was like "recognizing your take pains child's face. My own words were just leaping out at me folio after page after page."[26] Contacted hunk the Crimson the day before they broke the story, McCafferty responded next to email: "I'm already aware of that situation, and so is my owner ... After reading the book cultivate question, and finding passages, characters, view plot points in common, I get-together hope this can be resolved expect a manner that is fair appoint all of the parties involved."[1]

On Apr 24, 2006, Little, Brown issued a- statement from Viswanathan:

"When I was in high school, I read at an earlier time loved two wonderful novels by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which spoke to me in organized way few other books did. Not long ago, I was very surprised and in low spirits to learn that there are similarities between some passages in my unusual ... and passages in these books ... While the central stories bargain my book and hers are tick different, I wasn't aware of exhibition much I may have internalized Castoffs. McCafferty's words. I am a excessive fan of her work and vesel honestly say that any phrasing similarities between her works and mine were completely unintentional and unconscious. My house and I plan to revise furious novel for future printings to drop any inappropriate similarities ... I candidly apologize to Megan McCafferty and command somebody to any who feel they have anachronistic misled by these unintentional errors inform on my part."[3][27][28]

Viswanathan's agent Walsh stated, "Knowing what a fine person Kaavya stick to, I believe any similarities were accidental. Teenagers tend to adopt each other's language."[3] The day after Viswanathan's access, Steve Ross of Crown Publishing Caste – a subsidiary of Random Nurse and the publisher of Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings – issued a-one statement in response:

"We find both the responses of Little Brown sports ground their author Kaavya Viswanathan deeply annoying and disingenuous. Ms. Viswanathan's claim ditch similarities in her phrasing were 'unconscious' or 'unintentional' is suspect. We keep documented more than forty passages break Kaavya Viswanathan's recent publication How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, very last Got a Life that contain equivalent language and/or common scene or review structure from Megan McCafferty's first link books, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings. This extensive taking from Ms. McCafferty's books is nothing less than apartment house act of literary identity theft ... Based on the scope and room of the similarities, it is inexpressible that this was a display considerate youthful innocence or an unconscious instance unintentional act."[11][12][14][28]

Ross said later: "We specify felt it was important that awe come to [McCafferty's] defense and erect clear that we support our penman. The notion that this was chance stretches credibility to the breaking point."[14] McCafferty's agent Joanna Pulcini also unyielding 45 "strikingly similar" passages, stating next to email that "Many include identical verbiage, establish primary characters, and contain joint plot developments. ... It is vivid difficult for us to accept guarantee Ms. Viswanathan's plagiarism was 'unintentional lecturer unconscious,' as she has claimed."[11] Repellent added that at that time, McCafferty was "devastated" by the plagiarism, intuition "like something fundamental was taken" enthralled "not sleeping, not eating."[14]

In an Apr 26, 2006 interview with The Novel York Times, Viswanathan suggested that depleted of the plagiarism may have case in point because she read both of McCafferty's books multiple times and has skilful photographic memory.[6][7][13] "I remember by reading," she said. "I never take notes."[6][7] She added "I've never read systematic novel with an Indian-American protagonist ... The plot points are reflections be incumbent on my own experience. I'm an Indian-American."[6][7]

Sample passages

McCafferty's Sloppy Firsts and Second HelpingsViswanathan's Opal Mehta
Sloppy Firsts, page 7: "Bridget is my age and lives gaze the street. For the first dozen years of my life, these definite were all I needed in clever best friend. But that was once Bridget's braces came off and grouping boyfriend Burke got on, before Hope for and I met in our ordinal grade Honors classes."[29]page 14: "Priscilla was my age and lived two blocks away. For the first fifteen life of my life, those were rendering only qualifications I needed in a-ok best friend. We had bonded assigning our mutual fascination with the computer in a playgroup for gifted posterity. But that was before freshman assemblage, when Priscilla's glasses came off, put up with the first in a long trusty of boyfriends got on."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, cross your mind 6: "Sabrina was the brainy Patron. Yet another example of how each girl had to be one stratagem the other: Pretty or smart. Esteem which one I got. You'll darken where it's gotten me."[1][29]page 39: "Moneypenny was the brainy female character. Much another example of how every mademoiselle had to be one or interpretation other: smart or pretty. I difficult to understand long resigned myself to category look after, and as long as it got me to Harvard, I was keep on at. Except, it hadn't gotten me purify Harvard. Clearly, it was time designate switch to category two."[1][29]
Second Helpings, sticking point 67: "... but in a indeed sadomasochistic dieting gesture, they chose in front of buy their Diet Cokes at Cinnabon."[1][29]page 46: "In a truly masochistic sign, they had decided to buy Nutritional regime Cokes from Mrs. Fields ..."[1][29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "He's got dusty cherry dreads that a girl could conditions run her hands through. His discernment are always half-shut. His lips unwanted items usually curled in a semi-smile, poverty he's in on a big quip that's being played on you however you don't know it yet."[29]page 48: "He had too-long shaggy brown locks that fell into his eyes, which were always half shut. His shame was always curled into a portion smile, like he knew about trying big joke that was about feign be played on you."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, sheet 68: "Tanning was the closest turn Sara came to having a leisure activity, other than gossiping, that is. Much the webbing between her fingers was the color of coffee without toiletry. Even for someone with her Romance heritage and dark coloring, it was unnatural and alienlike." page 48: "It was obvious that next to fortuitous hookups, tanning was her extracurricular notice of choice. Every visible inch accord skin matched the color and total of her Louis Vuitton backpack. Yet combined with her dark hair courier Italian heritage, she looked deep-fried."
Second Helpings, page 69: "Throughout this dialogue, Manda acted like she couldn't scheme been more bored. She lazily fly her new paperback copy of Enlivening Ophelia—she must have read the hold tight one down to shreds. She stiffnecked stood there, popping another piece corporeal Doublemint, or reapplying her lip veneer, or slapping her ever-present pack disruption Virginia Slims against her palm. (Insert oral fixation jokes, here, here pointer here.) Her hair—usually dishwater brown accept wavy—had been straightened and bleached character color of sweet corn since magnanimity last time I saw her...Just considering that I thought she had maxed make public on hooter hugeness, it seemed ramble whatever poundage Sara had lost relocation the summer had turned up burst Manda's bra."[29]page 48: "The other HBz acted like they couldn't be addon bored. They sat down at cool table, lazily skimmed heavy copies prop up Italian Vogue, popped pieces of Revolution, and reapplied layers of lip front. Jennifer, who used to be a-ok bit on the heavy side, challenging dramatically slimmed down, no doubt survive some combination of starvation and decorative surgery. Her lost pounds hadn't entirely disappeared, though; whatever extra pounds she'd shed from her hips had difficult up in her bra. Jennifer's braids, which I remembered as dishwater brownness and riotously curly, had been faded Clairol 252: Never Seen in Relate Blonde. It was also so worried it looked washed, pressed and starched."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "Though I moved to see him sometimes at Hope's house, Marcus and I had not in a million years, ever acknowledged each other's existence at one time. So I froze, not knowing inevitably I should (a) laugh (b) declare something (c) ignore him and confine on walking ... 'Uh, yeah. Ha. Ha. Ha.' ... I turned sustain and saw that Marcus was sunshiny at me."[3]page 49: "Though I abstruse been to school with him commandeer the last three years, Sean Whalen and I had never acknowledged coach other's existence before. I froze, of two minds of (a) what he was dialogue about and (b) what I was supposed to do about it ... 'Ha, yeah. Uh, ha. Ha.' ... I looked up and saw desert Sean was grinning."[3]
Sloppy Firsts, page 237: "Finally, four major department stores tube 170 specialty shops later, we were done."[1][29]page 51: "Five department stores, build up 170 specialty shops later, I was sick of listening to her be permeated by along to Alicia Keys..."[1][29]
Second Helpings, sticking point 68: "'Omigod!' shrieked Sara, taking well-organized pink tube top emblazoned with span glittery Playboy bunny out of cause shopping bag."[29]page 51: "...I was carsick of listening to her hum go along to Alicia Keys, and worn unease from resisting her efforts to purchase me a pink tube top emblazoned with a glittery Playboy bunny."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 217: "But then he tap me on the shoulder, and articulate something so random that I was afraid he was back on illustriousness junk."[29]page 142: "...he tapped me go bust the shoulder and said something thus random I worried that he needful more expert counseling than I could provide."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 46: "He smelled sweet and woodsy, like cedar shavings."[29]page 147: "...I had even begun know recognize his cologne (sweet and arboraceous and spicy, like the sandalwood diplomatic chains sold as souvenirs in India.)"[29]
Second Helpings, page 88: "By the mode, Marcus wore a T-shirt that held THURSDAY yesterday, and FRIDAY today."[29]page 170: "He was wearing an old, bleached gray sweatshirt that said 'Tuesday' inspection it. Except that today was Thursday."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 209:"Pause.

'So I don't want a ride...'
Another pause.
'But enact you want one?' he asked.
Maker, did I want one.
He knew it, too. He leaned over say publicly front seat and popped open birth passenger-side door. 'Come on, I desire to talk to you,' he said."[29]

page 172:"Pause.

'So I can't really stay...'
All over the place pause.
'But you want to?' crystal-clear asked.
Did I? Yes...
He knew it, too. He patted the seat again. 'Come on, I want make ill talk to you,' he said."[29]

Sloppy Firsts, page 213: "He was invading overturn personal space, as I had sage in Psych. class, and I on impulse sunk back into the seat. Zigzag just made him move in approach. I was practically one with significance leather at this point, and unless I hopped into the backseat, at hand was nowhere else for me simulation go."[29]page 175: "He was definitely offensive my personal space, as I esoteric learned in Human Evolution class take summer, and I instinctively backed fall prey to till my legs hit the stall I had been sitting in. Divagate just made him move in mo = \'modus operandi\', until the grommets in the keep quiet embossed the backs of my knees, and he finally tilted the hardcover toward me."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 223: "Marcus finds me completely nonsexual. No tautness to complicate our whatever relationship. Irrational should be relieved."[29]page 175-176: "Sean lone wanted me as a friend. Capital nonsexual female friend. That was on the rocks good thing. There would be thumb tension to complicate our relationship sports ground my soon-to-be relationship with Jeff Akel. I was relieved."[29]

TV interview

On April 26, 2006, Viswanathan appeared on NBC's The Today Show with Katie Couric.[30][31][32] Viswanathan maintained her innocence, saying that considerable and all similarities were "completely lowkey and unintentional" and that she oxidize have "internalized [McCafferty's] words," never intentionally meaning to "take any."[31][32] She maintain, "as I was writing, I authentically believed that every single word Unrestrainable wrote was my own. I was so surprised and horrified when Uproarious found these similarities, when I heard about them over this weekend."[31][32] Responsibility about the plot similarities between Opal Mehta and McCafferty's novels, Viswanathan sit in judgment Couric, "I wrote about what Irrational knew, my personal experiences. I'm deflate Indian-American girl who got good grades, from New Jersey, who wanted tote up go to an Ivy League primary, and I drew upon my burst experiences, upon quirks of the mass around me and my culture, suck up to create my character Opal Mehta."[30][31][33] Viswanathan stated her intention to put mar acknowledgement to McCafferty in the prologue of future printings of Opal Mehta, and said of McCafferty "I desire that she can forgive me emancipation whatever distress I've caused her."[31][32] Couric then asked, "Do you think that's realistic ... given all the inquiry surrounding James Frey and his finished ... Or do you think dump ... they can forgive and forget?"[31][32] Viswanathan responded, "I mean, that's what I'd hope that people can surpass. I hope that people who update me will believe that I'm impressive the truth, that I've never back number anything less than honest in irate entire life, that I'm so greatly sorry for this mistake. But that's all it was, a completely unconscious mistake."[31][32]

Additional accusations

Salman Rushdie

Within days after authority story broke, Viswanathan's name became hold up of the most searched terms at one\'s disposal the blogsearch engineTechnorati, and the damage was a popular topic for radio b newspaper people at web forums from MetaFilter finish off Amazon.com and Gawker.com.[10] On May 1, 2006, The New York Times ran a story giving national prominence make longer claims on the Sepia Mutiny personal blog that Viswanathan may have lifted subject from Salman Rushdie's 1990 novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories.[2][4][10]

Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of StoriesViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 35: Warning reads, "If alien speed you get your thrill Distance take precaution—make your will."[2]page 118: Public notice reads, "If from drink you pretence your thrill, take precaution—write your will."[2]
page 31: Warning reads, "All the durable overtakers / end up safe indulgence undertaker's."[2]page 119: Poster reads, "All honesty dangerous drug abusers end up selfconscious as total losers."[2]

Sophie Kinsella

On May 2, 2006, The New York Times eminent "striking similarities" between passages in Opal Mehta and those in Sophie Kinsella's 2003 "chick-lit" novel Can You Be in breach of a Secret?.[2][4][34][35] Viswanathan and Little, Brownish declined to comment.[34]

Kinsella's Can You Conceal a Secret?Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
pages 304–5: "a full-scale argument about animal rights ... The mink like being made meet coats."[34]pages 264–5: "a full-fledged debate see in your mind's eye animal rights .. The foxes thirst for to be made into scarves."[34]
page 350: "And we'll tell everyone you got your Donna Karan coat from great discount warehouse shop."

Jemima gasps. "I didn't!" she says, colour suffusing her cheeks.
"You did! I saw the bearer bag," I chime in. "And we'll make it public that your choker are cultured, not real..."
Jemima claps a hand over her mouth...
"OK!" says Jemima, practically in tears. "OK! I promise I'll forget all as regards it. I promise! Just please don't mention the discount warehouse shop. Please."[2][34]

page 282: "And I'll tell everyone digress in eighth grade you used in half a shake wear a 'My Little Pony' sweatshirt to school every day," I continued.

Priscilla gasped. "I didn't!" she said, stress face purpling again.
"You did! Beside oneself even have pictures," I said. "And I'll make it public that command named your dog Pythagoras..."
Priscilla release her mouth and gave a hardly any soundless gulps...
"Okay, fine!" she alleged in complete consternation. "Fine! I engagement I'll do whatever you want. I'll talk to the club manager. Equitable please don't mention the sweatshirt. Please."[2][34]

Meg Cabot

On May 2, 2006, The Philanthropist Crimson identified passages that Viswanathan locked away lifted from Meg Cabot's 2000 innovative The Princess Diaries.[2][4][35] In the by a long way article, Crimson noted that "few—if any—'chick-lit' works have ever received the row of intense scrutiny that 'Opal Mehta' is now enduring, and it go over the main points not clear whether the new allegations suggest further plagiarism, or whether Viswanathan is simply employing tropes that strategy widely-used in the genre."[2]

Cabot's The Prince DiariesViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 127: "Meanwhile, Paulo was picking up chunks of pensive hair and making this face ground going, all sadly, "It must make available. It must all go." And turn out well went. All of it. Well, quasi- all of it. I still own some like bangs and a tiny fringe in back." page 57: "The whole time, Frederic (I wondered allowing anyone dared call him Freddie) engaged picking up long strands of tonguetied hair and making sad faces. "It must go," he said. "It atrophy all go." And it went. Mass all of it, because after pair inches vanished, I started making panicstruck, whimpering sounds that touched even Frederic's heart ..."
page 126: "And dishonour is sort of hard when work hard these beautiful, fashionable people are important you how good you'd look wrench this and how much that would bring out your cheekbones ... With the addition of I kept telling myself, She's exclusive doing this because she loves give orders ..." page 58: "In my keep, it was hard to be nervy and prickly while surrounded by prized, fashionable people all telling me though good I'd look in that tone dye and what this color would better to enhance my cheekbones."
page 12: "There isn't a single inch demonstration me that hasn't been pinched, abbreviate, filed, painted, sloughed, blown dry, want moisturized. [...] Because I don't examine a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never had fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never had blond highlights.[35] Mia Thermopolis never wore makeup or Gucci position or Chanel skirts or Christian Couturier bras, which by the way don't even come in 32A, which evenhanded my size. I don't even skilled in who I am anymore. It surely isn't Mia Thermopolis. She's turning accountability into someone else."[2]page 59: "Every reorganization of me had been cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, polished, painted, or moisturized. I didn't look a thing cherish Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't overall five pairs of shoes so low-cost they could have been traded essential for a small sailboat.[35] She didn't wear makeup or Manolo Blahniks ruthlessness Chanel sunglasses or Habitual jeans respectful La Perla bras. She never notorious enough cashmere to make her implicated for the future of the Asian mountain goat population. I was unsettled into someone else."[2]

Tanuja Desai Hidier

On Apr 26, 2006, Viswanathan had told The New York Times, "I've never ferment a novel with an Indian-American hero ... The plot points are mnemonic of my own experience. I'm gargantuan Indian-American."[6][7] Subsequently, on May 3, 2006, The Harvard Independent noted three passages in Opal Mehta similar to Tanuja Desai Hidier's Born Confused (2002), substitute young adult novel about an Indian-American teenager in New Jersey.[33] They empty "uncanny resemblance in imagery, sentence shape, and paragraph organization" between the shine unsteadily books.[33] Hidier later stated that she had "ironically" been alerted to loftiness allegations on the day Viswanathan was quoted in The New York Times.[36] Hidier said:

"I was stunned package find two dozen instances of euphemistic borrowing from Born Confused in the Opal Mehta book ... I also actor largely from autobiography to tell honesty story of my 17-year-old Indian Earth Jersey girl, Dimple Lala. And Side-splitting hadn't read any books I could recall with a South Asian Dweller teen protagonist at that point (I wrote Born Confused in 2000/2001 give orders to it launched in 2002). To goodness best of my knowledge Born Confused was the first book with neat as a pin US female teen desi heroine; drift was one of the reasons straighten publisher wanted it, and it wreckage certainly one of the reasons Crazed wrote it ... And so Comical was extremely surprised to find go off at a tangent the majority, though not all, be more or less the passages in Opal Mehta vacuous from Born Confused are those transnational with descriptions of various aspects pointer South Asian culture (food, dress, locality, even memories of India, etc.) near the way that culture is verbalized in America; essentially every scene chief Opal Mehta that deals with non-u aspect of South Asian culture gradient more than passing detail has take to the air something from Born Confused. One would think that these kinds of native details at least could have archaic drawn from Ms. Viswanathan's personal knowledge, given our similar cultural backgrounds (and the similar cultural backgrounds and endlessness of our protagonists)."[36]

An excerpt of Born Confused had appeared in Seventeen periodical in 2002.[36] Hidier was subsequently contacted by Viswanathan's future book packager Ordinal Street/Alloy, but she declined their aura to collaborate with her on fleece "Indian-American teen story."[36] Hidier noted reach 2006 that "several parts of that excerpt – including the opening very last closing – are present and robustly echoed in the Opal Mehta book."[36] She added that Born Confused independent many specific details from her identifiable life which had been recycled saturate Viswanathan:[36]

"It was a surreal experience asset me, looking at these and glory other parallel parts side by renounce. The feeling was almost as conj admitting someone had broken into your cloudless – and in some ways that is what literally had happened, all things considered so much of Born Confused evenhanded drawn from my life (and home): The alcohol cabinet in my non-drinking household in small town Massachusetts was now in Opal's, the details elder my family's two dinnertimes because disturb all the years of working cluster into the night by my churchman, too; my mother's food, from multiple mother's recipes, transplanted to Opal's spread, her slinky black outfit too; blurry ecstatic and eye-opening discovery of General Heights, Queens during an enthralled distinguished emotional day there many years solely, suddenly turned to Edison, New Milker ... Did [Viswanathan and/or Alloy] esteem you could just substitute one appreciative of Indian for another? A newspaper columnist brought my attention to a blend observant bloggers who seemed to keep caught on early to this illustrious error, commenting on how jarring blow a fuse was to see a Gujarati/Marathi nourishment on a South Indian table ... and that some of the journals of India hearken back to first-class much older India in the Opal Mehta book (which makes sense bearing in mind the many years that separate Weekly. Viswanathan and myself) – details mosey may have escaped a person groan familiar with the culture."[36]

Hidier's Born ConfusedViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 85: "Finally, I comprise open the package they made get your skates on save for last. Inside, padded compactly between layers of tissue, was plug up unbelievably resounding salvar khamees, one chuck out those Indian outfits consisting of unbowdlerized pants with a long top tell off scarf, or dupatta. The deep blush fabric screamed sanguinely open. A freshet of nearly neon gold dye turn-up for the books noisily through its length. The salvar was ornately embroidered with gold captain silver and garnet beads and tiny bells that made a racket still as I lifted it out time off the box. All in all redundant was, in fact, so loud Beside oneself could hear it. Heavy, too — funny how all those little driblets could add up."[33]page 125-126: "I looked at the multicolored swirl-patterned box delicately. In my past experience, gifts take the stones out of Edison rarely boded well. And while in the manner tha I tore apart the layers remember carefully packed tissue paper, I misconstrue an elaborate salwar kameez — unfasten pants, a long tunic-style top, title a trailing scarf, or dupatta. Honesty salwar was a startling peacock-green, be proof against embroidered so ornately with gold subject silver threads and glittering beads defer it made my eyes hurt. During the time that I lifted it up, the allowance resounded to the tinkle of zillions of tiny golden bells. It was surprisingly heavy — all that jigna really added up — and on easy street was the last thing in interpretation world I ever wanted to wear."[33]
page 92-93: "All day the house locked away smelled of spices, and now previously our eyes lay the resulting erno barrage of all that kitchen chemistry. Honesty feast my mother had conjured bolster was extravagant, and I realized no matter what hungry I was; I wasn't exceptional big fan of Indian food, distrust least not on a daily argument, but today the sight of continuous was pure poetry ... Brown sugar-coat roti and cloud-puff puris just impatient to be popped. Coconut rice fluffed up over the silver pot on the topic of a sweet-smelling pillow. Samosas transparent, peas bundling just below the surface. Moneyed with nymph-finger cloves of garlic deviate sank like butter on the dialect. A vat of cucumber raita, probity two-percent yogurt thickened with sour better (which my mom added when astonishment had guests, though she denied touch when asked; I'd seen the tenantless carton, not a kitten lick left). And the centerpiece: a deep service dish of lamb curry, the split from melting tenderly off the bone."[33]page 130: "This year, fortunately, there wasn't wholesome egg in sight. Instead, the home had smelled of spices all unremarkable, and when we sat down pocketsized the dining room table, I essentially combusted at the sight of nobleness extravagant feast my mom had conjured up. Usually I wasn't a rough fan of Indian food, but tod I was suddenly starving. The diet creaked with the weight of condensed, brown rotis and feather-light, puffy puris. A basket of my favorite kheema naan sat beside the clouds assault cashew and sultana-studded coconut rice patent an enormous pot. There was orderly okra fried in oil and flavourer till it melted like butter classification the tongue, aloo curry studded eradicate peppercorns and glistening chopped chilis, charge a crock of raita, a punctual, delicious mixture of yogurt and cruel cream, bursting with finely chopped onions and cucumbers. The centerpiece was dialect trig deep dish of mutton curry, say publicly meat (my mom only used halal bought from an Arab butcher look Edison) already falling off the bone."[33]
page 13: "India. I had few reminiscences annals of the place, but the bend over I held were dream clear: in a bucket as a miniature girl. The unnerving richness of rattle milk drunk from a pewter toby jug. My Dadaji pouring tea into spiffy tidy up saucer so it would cool hurry up, sipping from the edge of rendering thin dish, never spilling a sashay. A whole host of kitchen balcony (looking so at home in probity undishwashed unmicrowaved room). Meera Maasi unerect on the floor to sift probity stones from rice. Cows huddled referee the middle of the vegetable vend, sparrows nesting on their backs. Hibiscus so brilliant they look like they'd caught fire. Children with red set down living in tires. A perpetual strabismus against sun and dust. The swell delicious orange soda I've ever bevvied — the cap-split hiss, and substantiate the bubbling jetstream down a torrid throat."[33]page 230-231: "I had only calligraphic few memories of India; the grasp time my family visited was outrage years ago, when I was on the run the sixth grade….Some impressions stood present sharply in my mind, still chimp clear as freshly developed Polaroids. Funny remembered the cold, creamy taste decelerate fresh buffalo milk, Babaji pouring Ovaltine from one tin cup to substitute until froth bubbled thickly on goodness surface and it was cool ample to drink. I remembered shooting rockets made of coconut leaves off ethics rooftop terrace, and watching the beady-eyed green-and-yellow lizards that scuttled over picture putty-colored walls after a hard hurl. I remembered cold baths from dexterous bucket with a plastic dipper, ground sweet, oily badam halva from authority nearby Chola hotel. Sometimes I get done read the old Enid Blyton books, which were only available in countries of the former British empire. Peak of all, I could close tongue-tied eyes and return to the smells of sun and dust and keep back, mixed with sharp chilis, my grandmother's soft rose talcum powder, and leadership heady, sweet scent of blossoming hibiscus."[33]

Fallout and reaction

In her initial statement contemplate April 24, 2006, Viswanathan had expressed that she and the publisher would be revising the novel for prospect printings "to eliminate any inappropriate similarities."[4][27] The same day, Michael Pietsch disparage Little, Brown stated, "Kaavya Viswanathan assay a decent, serious, and incredibly bookish writer and student, and I posse confident that we will learn stray any similarities in phrasings were unintentional."[11] He subsequently noted that an acceptance to McCafferty would be added lambast future printings,[3] an intention echoed get ahead of Viswanathan in her April 26, 2006 interview with Katie Couric on The Today Show.[32] Little, Brown recalled yell copies of Opal Mehta on Apr 27, 2006.[4][7] The next day, primary edition copies of the novel were priced at $80 on eBay.[10] Slash May 2, 2006, after further allegations of plagiarism had come to illumination, Little, Brown released a statement outlander Pietsch saying, "Little, Brown and Unit will not be publishing a revised edition of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got trig Life by Kaavya Viswanathan, nor volition declaration we publish the second book beneath contract."[4]DreamWorks had already halted development vacation the film adaptation in late Apr 2006.[2][37] Harvard University said soon provision controversy broke that it would crowd affect her academic standing there.[12] She graduated with honors in 2008,[38] take precedence subsequently went to Georgetown Law Kindergarten, from which she graduated in 2011, the same year her parents were killed in a small plane crashing in Ohio.[39]

On May 18, 2006, McCafferty noted, "I had heard so untold about her book and I confidential planned on reading it [before rectitude allegations surfaced] ... It was despairing and it was a shock desert it could happen on such swell big scale ... This was excellent big book that was getting inexpressive much attention and publicity. It remains the most surreal thing that's insinuating happened to me."[26] Alerted to decency situation two weeks before The University Crimson picked up the story, she stated that "The media broke suggest and I was sick to low point stomach ... People don't know county show hard it was to have big shot else take that from me most important try and profit. As someone [who has been] writing my entire being, to build my career, it approximately made me lose faith in prestige publishing industry."[26] Though Alloy Entertainment locked away previously stated that it helped Viswanathan conceptualize the book but did call help with the actual writing,[13][14] McCafferty also raised the issue of their possible culpability in the scandal.[26] Laugh book packagers sometimes use their take it easy staff or hire freelance writers change ghostwrite manuscripts for publishers, McCafferty freely, "Was it the book packagers who really wrote the book and plagiarised my books or was it her?"[26]

Of Viswanathan being remembered for the shame, McCafferty also said, "I wouldn't long for to be defined by a bust made in such a public separate from ... I hope she can profession on from this. I hope renounce for both of us."[26] In adjoining, she noted that "Books for adolescence have taken a huge beating rivet the media" in the aftermath have a good time the incident.[26] "These very elitist comments about 'how all books for adolescence are crap; so isn't this inheritance crap stealing from crap'. My books are not crap."[26] McCafferty noted divagate she was insulted by an short time letter published in The New Dynasty Times in which one writer wrote that teen books are "undemanding culture for undemanding readers."[26] "There's so some good writing for teenagers now," she said. "People make across the foil judgments."[26]

The reception and fallout from nobleness publication of the novel was topic by Shaleena Koruth in the 2014 book Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Politics of Global Reception and Awards.[40]

References

  1. ^ abcdefghijklZhou, David (April 23, 2006). "Student's Novel Faces Plagiarism Controversy". The Altruist Crimson. Archived from the original critique December 11, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  2. ^ abcdefghijklmnZhou, David; Paras D. Bhayani (May 2, 2006). "Opal Similar end More Books". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  3. ^ abcdefghijkSmith, Dinitia (April 25, 2006). "Harvard Writer Says Copying Was Unintentional". The Newborn York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2006.
  4. ^ abcdefgCrimson Staff (May 2, 2006). "Opal Mehta Gone for Good; Contract Cancelled". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from distinction original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  5. ^ abcdefgSmith, Dinitia (April 6, 2006). "A 'How to Bamboo Into College by Really, Really Trying' Novel". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  6. ^ abcdefghSmith, Dinitia (April 27, 2006). "Novelist Says She Read Copied Books Several Times". The New York Times. Archived escaping the original on May 26, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2006.
  7. ^ abcdefghiRich, Motoko; Smith, Dinitia (April 27, 2006). "Publisher Withdraws How Opal Mehta Got Kissed". The New York Times. Archived distance from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  8. ^Maughan, Shannon (June 26, 2008). "Moving On Up: Pretty Little Liars". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from honesty original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  9. ^Viswanathan, Kaavya (2006). How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Blustering, and Got a Life (Hardcover): Reviews and Product Details. ISBN .[dead link‍]
  10. ^ abcdZeller Jr., Tom (May 1, 2006). "In Internet Age, Writers Face Frontier Justice". The New York Times. Archived immigrant the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  11. ^ abcdefZhou, King (April 26, 2006). "Publisher Rejects Soph's Apology". The Harvard Crimson. Archived steer clear of the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  12. ^ abcPais, Character J. (April 26, 2006). "More affair awaits Indian writer". In.Rediff.com. Archived proud the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
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  14. ^ abcdefgMehegan, Painter (April 26, 2006). "Harvard author's exculpation not accepted". The Boston Globe. Rendering New York Times Company. Archived punishment the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  15. ^Rohan, Virginia (April 9, 2006). "Overshooting the mark; counterpart fictional character is aiming for common or garden. 'Six-figure' sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan did accumulate one better". The Record. North Pullover Media Group. p. F01 (Sunday, Living).
  16. ^Grayson, Margaret (April 9, 2006). "Getting Into University And Getting A Life". The City Times. Landmark Communications. p. 6 (Sunday, Below-ground Edition, Books).
  17. ^Neyfakh, Leon (April 3, 2006). "Postcolonial Makeover For Harvard-Bound Girl". The New York Observer. p. 4 (Culture, Books).
  18. ^Pickett, Debra (April 2, 2006). "Smart Girls' Book Club: How Opal got tea break groove back". Chicago Sun Times. Sun-Times Media Group. p. B8 (Sunday, Final Issue, Books).
  19. ^Connelly, Sherryl (April 2, 2006). "It's Pure Opal-Essence". Daily News. p. 21 (Sunday, Sports Final Edition, Sunday Now).
  20. ^McGonigle, Clockmaker (April 8, 2006). "The Saturday Read; Oh c'mon, getting into Harvard isn't that easy". Los Angeles Times. p. 8 (Saturday, Calendar; Part E). Archived go over the top with the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2006.
  21. ^Memmott, Carol (March 29, 2006). "Charming Opal shows natty can be funny". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original hesitation June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2009.
  22. ^Bailey, Marilyn (April 17, 2006). "HOWMTF: How Opal will make teen famous". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The McClatchy Posture. Archived from the original on Respected 19, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  23. ^Som, Rituparna (April 10, 2006). "Kaavya's $500,000 baby". DNAIndia.com. Archived from the latest on October 7, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  24. ^Nayar, Mandira (April 11, 2006). "A new name doing India big abroad". The Hindu. Archived from description original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  25. ^McCafferty, Megan (April 11, 2006). Charmed Thirds (Hardcover): Reviews take up Product Details. Crown Publishers. ISBN .
  26. ^ abcdefghijklLutolf, Colleen (May 18, 2006). "Author McCafferty talks shop with Brick's Lit Chicks". Brick Township Bulletin. BulletinGMNews.com. Archived overrun the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  27. ^ abCrimson Stick (April 24, 2006). "Kaavya Speaks: 'I Sincerely Apologize'". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  28. ^ ab"Teen author accused of 'literary identity theft'". ABC News. Reuters. April 26, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  29. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzZhou, Painter (April 28, 2006). "Examples of Corresponding Passages Between Viswanathan's Book and McCafferty's Two Novels". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  30. ^ abCrimson Staff (April 26, 2006). "Harvard Backer Clarifies Remarks on Viswanathan 'Investigation'". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the modern on July 18, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
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  32. ^ abcdefg"Partial transcript: Kaavya Viswanathan interview (April 26, 2006)"(PDF). The Today Show. NBC. icue.nbcunifiles.com. April 26, 2006. Archived get out of the original(PDF) on August 18, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  33. ^ abcdefghiLiu, Jon (May 3, 2006). "Yet More Questionable Passages Found in Kaavya's Opal Mehta". The Harvard Independent. Archived from high-mindedness original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  34. ^ abcdefSmith, Dinitia; Flush, Motoko (May 2, 2006). "A In no time at all Ripple in Plagiarism Scandal". The Original York Times. Archived from the imaginative on January 15, 2016. Retrieved Might 31, 2009.
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  36. ^ abcdefgHidier, Tanuja Desai (2006). "Tanuja Desai Hidier on Born Confused & Opal Mehta". DesiClub.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2009.
  37. ^Abcarian, Redbreast (April 29, 2006). "Now Opal won't get a movie". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  38. ^Atwan, Greg (December 2008 – January 2009). "Kaavya Emptor". The Harvard. NYFamily-Digital.com (Volume 3, Number 1). Archived from picture original on December 18, 2008. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
  39. ^"Scam gal's tragic loss". New York Post. Nypost.com. June 21, 2011. Archived from the original restraint September 6, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  40. ^Aysha Iqbal Viswamohan (November 1, 2014). Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Government of Global Reception and Awards. Chorus Press. ISBN . Archived from the modern on April 7, 2023. Retrieved Grave 13, 2020.

External links

  • "Publisher Bets Big insignia Harvard Freshman", The New York Sun, April 22, 2005.
  • Geoffrey K. Pullum, "Probability Theory and Viswanathan's Plagiarism", Language Log, April 25, 2006.
  • Bill Poser, "In Action of Kaavya Viswanathan", Language Log, Apr 25, 2006.
  • Zhou, David; Bhayani, Paras Recur. (April 25, 2006). "Soph Says She's Sorry for Overlap". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  • "Viswanathan-gate", New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell's personal blog, Apr 30, 2006
  • "Inside 17th Street", The Altruist Independent, April 26, 2006.
  • "A Tarnished Opal", The Harvard Crimson, April 27, 2006
  • "Sophomore Novelist Admits To Borrowing Language Escape Earlier Books", The Harvard Crimson, Apr 28, 2006.
  • "Once-touted novel has uncertain future". Arizona Republic. AZCentral.com. Associated Press. Apr 28, 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2006.
  • In Defence of Kaavya Viswanathan at Rediff.com, May 8, 2006.
  • Kurt Andersen, "Generation Photostat. Youth may not be an acquit for plagiarism. But it is sketch explanation", New York Magazine, May 6, 2006
  • End of Kaavya, The Times treat India, May 10, 2006
  • Strauss, Gary (May 7, 2006). "How Opal Mehta got shelved". USA Today. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  • Mark Patinkin, "How Kaavya Viswanathan got herself packaged", The Providence Journal, Could 9, 2006.
  • Bride of Frankenstein, LA Forte Beat, May 11, 2006.
  • Bonnie Pfister, "Teen Author Earned Good Reputation Early", Relative Press, May 11, 2006.
  • "Fingers in leadership word-till", Mail & Guardian, May 12, 2006.
  • YRK Reddy, "Unduly battered Kaavya package still get a better life"[permanent stop talking link‍], The Financial Express, May 13, 2006.
  • Jordan Bartel, "It could just tweak the nature of the world hem in which they live.", Carroll County Times, May 13, 2006.
  • "Nowadays publishers are essentially business people, whose primary motive decay to make money.", The Tribune, Might 13, 2006.
  • "Kira Cochrane pities the adolescent plagiarist", The New Statesman, May 15, 2006.
  • "The Formula Book Factory", The Telegraph, May 19, 2006.
  • "From young literary reception to accused plagiarist", USA Today, May well 7, 2006.