Posted on 08/01/2004 1:01:08 AM PDT by beaversmom
August 1, 2004 -- When Atria Books withdrew the memoir "Honor Lost" from publication early this week, it spotlighted a problem that surfaces often in the book publishing business: the author's veracity had been called into question.
Mainstream book publishers, most of which release several hundred books a year, do not routinely fact-check their material. They optimistically rely on authors, agents and their own antennae for falsehood.
And sometimes, a promotable author and a gripping story can be more publishable than the truth.
"Honor Lost," published in 2003, is Norma Khouri's supposedly real-life story about the author and her Muslim best friend "Dalia," who Khouri says was murdered by her family because she had a Christian boyfriend.
A gripping and topical story, it was called "terrifying and inspiring" by reviewers. The book and its author received a great deal of media attention including an appearance on NBC's "Today Show."
Earlier this week, an 18-month investigation in Australia — where the author now lives "in exile" and where the book has sold 150,000 copies — alleged that Khouri had fabricated the story.
Reports say Khouri had in fact been living in Chicago during the time she and "Dalia" supposedly ran a beauty salon together in Jordan. Other inconsistencies have been reported as well.
The book, which was published in Australia by Random House (and in about a dozen other countries by various publishers) as well as in the U.S. by Atria, has been "withdrawn from sale and publication. . . pending receipt of evidence from the author that the book is a true representation of her life and experiences," according to a Simon & Schuster spokesman.
As upsetting as the hoax might be for the publisher, the "Honor Lost" fiasco does not seem to warrant much financial concern. Khouri's advance was in the low six-figures, and the 50,000 copies (in hardcover and paperback) that the book has sold did not earn her any additional royalties.
Several lawyers and agents contacted by The Post said it would not be in the publisher's interest to call even more attention to the situation by filing a suit that would likely cost them more than they could recoup from the writer.
The "Honor Lost" story does, however, raise the question: Who is responsible for the facts in controversial manuscripts?
While the S&S spokesman declined to comment specifically on the process used in this case, he indicated — as did a lawyer who has done several dozen book-vettings — that most books go through a standard read by in-house lawyers who sometimes suggest changes and cuts.
"But usually what we're looking for," said the lawyer, "is evidence of libel."
There could be no libel in "Honor Lost" because the author changed names or didn't use full names, ostensibly because she feared for the lives of the people she was writing about.
"Book publishing is not like magazine publishing," said one high-ranking publishing executive who insisted on anonymity.
"We don't have the systems in place to fact-check."
Some houses may employ fact checkers for individual books, one executive said, but for the most part, "you hope you have smart copy editors who do more than correct punctuation."
They can sometimes spot inconsistencies in the narrative, she said.
The system is obviously not foolproof, and many publishing houses have found themselves in an embarrassing position in recent years.
Atria itself was duped in 2002 by an author who claimed he was the grandson of mobster Carlo Gambino. In that case, the publisher brought suit against the author's agent to recoup the $500,000 advance it had paid him. That case was eventually settled out of court.
In 1997, Little, Brown was set to publish "The City of Light," supposedly the journals of a merchant in 1270 who arrived in China before Marco Polo.
Originally published in the U.K., the book never went past the galley stage in this country when the author could not adequately answer questions that had been raised by several historians.
In 1999, St. Martin's press withdrew "Fortunate Son," a biography of then governor George W. Bush, when it was revealed that the author, J.H. Hatfield, had hidden the fact that he was a convicted felon.
That book was later published by SoftSkull Press amid some controversy, and the author later committed suicide.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
http://www.nypost.com/business/28322.htm
Oops, link should have been this one. Can you please change. Thanks.
Why the excerpt? You posted the whole article.
Anyway, how can you discuss literary fraud and not mention Rigoberta Menchú, probably the most infamous such fraud of our time.
For those who don't remember, some leftist wrote an autobiography about her terrible life at the hands of evil right wing central Americans, her impoverishment, and lack of education.
Except the people bother her family were actually other members of her family. And she wasn't poor. And she was wasn't uneducated...etc...etc...etc
She even got a Nobel Peace Prize.
When posting from the NY Post, you have to excerpt. I hit auto excerpt but it posted the whole thing.
Anyway, how can you discuss literary fraud and not mention Rigoberta Menchú, probably the most infamous such fraud of our time.
I wasn't "discussing" anything. I posted an article about Norma Khouri. Anyway, I don't know how I could discuss Rigoberta since I've never heard of the woman. Thanks for telling us a little about her.
The "you" in this case refers to the author.
I remember that... Rigoberta was revered. But I don't remember what her status became after the lies unfolded. I somehow doubt that the appropriate revisions were made to the canon, however.
A lot of people just upheld her story anyway. Said it was a "cultural" thing to write stories from "collective experience." i.e. It was the experience of others, as well as herself.
Wags said that the book should have been called, "We, Rigoberta ..." rather than "I ..."
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