Violence in a box of books

Written by

Ophelia Benson

in

What has happened to the grownups? This is the second time in as many days I’ve asked that.

https://twitter.com/ABAbook/status/1415399389615595520

A “violent” incident – that’s teenager talk, it’s the worst kind of idiot-Twitter talk, it’s frenzied catastrophizing tantrum talk.

https://twitter.com/ABAbook/status/1415399393897984001

Executions? Torture? Banishment?

https://twitter.com/FeralQuokka/status/1415707500490465280

Comments

11 responses to “Violence in a box of books”

  1. Your Name's not Bruce? Avatar
    Your Name’s not Bruce?

    The “community” are collectively sharpening their torches and lighting their pitchforks in response:

    What’s your policy on what gets put in the box? Is there any rule against discriminatory books? There should be. Whoever pushed for this book to be included needs to see some consequences for their actions.

    We’re watching for those steps you say you’ll share.

    we read. we know that you know the difference between passive and active voice. Just how many people were involved in selecting, vetting, and putting this arroz con mango trash book in boxes going to dues paying members? cant believe we PAID for this. smfh

    OK, but who greenlit a mailing featuring a book with imperialist/eugenicist notions of gender? And how will you correct this in the future? Which trans authors will you be lifting up instead?

    “We did something inexcusable.

    “We will never promote this author or this imprint again.

    “We will donate an amount equal to what we got, out of our own pockets, to a trans advocacy group chosen by a panel of trans booksellers we will pay to review potential recipients.”

    This isn’t an just an accident

    Someone had to be responsible for including that book

    That was an active decision someone made

    Please give us (your members) a date when we can expect a report detailing how that mailer was produced and how that White Box was assembled. I’m less concerned with names than with process.

    Please provide us with names & contact info of board/staff assigned to address this.

    Please give us a date when we can expect a report detailing changes to your processes that will prevent such problems in future.

    Please give us a date when we can expect a report on current diversity among ABA board and staff.

    Please explain how you will increase diversity among board/staff going forward.

    Please give us a date when we can expect a report with clear, measurable goals + details of consequences for failing to meet those goals + process for adjusting goals in future as issues arise.

    “In the next three weeks” isn’t good enough. & I see you DIDN’T include that metric in the letter that went out to members.

    Maybe it wasn’t your intention, but that feels shady.

    I would like to see you set an actual deadline for yourselves. Please give us a date.

  2. GW Avatar
    GW

    Sigh. I wish the ABA would have replied: “Yes, we included that book intentionally. Sorry you don’t like it. Sucks to be you.”

  3. GW Avatar
    GW

    The readers’ responses are so irritatingly entitled.

  4. latsot Avatar
    latsot

    Read the apology out loud in a dramatic voice. It sounds every bit as stupid as it does in your head.

  5. Athel Cornish-Bowden Avatar
    Athel Cornish-Bowden

    Abigail Shrier’s comment is just perfect, and cannot be improved on. I hope the bullying gets her a large increase in sales.

  6. Ophelia Benson Avatar
    Ophelia Benson

    It probably is. Book is trending on Twitter right now.

  7. Dave Ricks Avatar
    Dave Ricks

    Amazon sales of Irreversible Damage right now:

    LGBTQ+ Demographic Studies: #1, #2, #3

    Medical Adolescent Psychology: #1, #2

    I don’t know if that’s in response to this ABA thing, but I find it reassuring.

  8. Nullius in Verba Avatar
    Nullius in Verba

    FFS. Don’t apologize when you’ve done nothing wrong. Don’t apologize for more than what you have done. Doing so gains you no friends, only abusers whose power over you is no more than you have given them.

    And you’ll deserve what you get.

    Better to be Sarah.

  9. iknklast Avatar
    iknklast

    There have been times when I have thought about sending one of my books to Ken Ham; see if I can get a good banning going. I could use the sales.

    Once I no longer have to rely on my job to eat, I might do it.

  10. Catwhisperer Avatar
    Catwhisperer

    Are we quite sure the books weren’t mounted on a spring so they would pop out like a Jack-in-the-box, smacking people in the face? Because I think we would all agree that’s somewhat violent.

  11. John the Drunkard Avatar
    John the Drunkard

    Well, it WAS put out by Regnery. And it is an unpleasant surprise that the ABA regards them as a serious publishing house.

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