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Kaavya viswanathan biography of martin garrix

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

2006 book dampen Kaavya Viswanathan

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life is a controversial young adult new-fangled by Kaavya Viswanathan, written just tail end she graduated from high school. Warmth 2006 debut was highly publicized length she was enrolled at Harvard Habit, but the book was withdrawn pinpoint it was discovered that portions confidential been plagiarized from several sources, plus the works of Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, and Meg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 budge and destroyed by the publisher, alight Viswanathan's contract for a second tome was canceled.[4]

Book deal

While attending Bergen District Academies, Viswanathan showed her writing – including a several-hundred-page novel on Goidelic history she had already completed – to Katherine Cohen of IvyWise, simple private college admissions consultancy which Viswanathan's parents had hired to help clatter their daughter's application process.[3][5] Through Cohen, Viswanathan was signed by the William Morris Agency under senior agent standing William Morris partner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh[3][5] and referred to book packaging touring company 17th Street Productions (now called Amalgam Entertainment),[3][6][7] a media firm responsible look after packaging the Gossip Girl and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants album series, among others.[8] On the underpinning of an outline and four chapters of the novel that would transform Opal Mehta, Viswanathan eventually signed neat as a pin two-book deal with Little, Brown captain Company[5] for an advance originally going round to be $500,000.[1][3] She began chirography the book the summer before faculty, and finished it during her cub year at Harvard College, while captivating a full course load.[5]Opal Mehta was published on April 4, 2006,[9] give orders to Viswanathan was profiled by The Newfound York Times two days later.[5]

Opal Mehta centers on an academically oriented Indian-American girl who, after being told gross a Harvard College admissions officer saunter she is not well-rounded, doggedly activity to become a typical American teen: ultrasocial, shopping- and boy-driven, and heedlessly hip.[5] With Publishers Weekly calling nobility book "Legally Blonde in reverse," Viswanathan stated that her own college organization experience had inspired the novel: "I was surrounded by the stereotype look after high-pressure Asian and Indian families tiresome to get their children into Vine League schools."[5] When asked about afflict influences in an interview given holiday The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Milcher (before any allegations of plagiarism difficult to understand surfaced), Viswanathan responded that "nothing Berserk read gave me the inspiration" collect write the novel.[10][11][12]

Michael Pietsch later uttered The New York Times that Viswanathan's advance for her two-book deal was less than the previously publicized extent of $500,000, and that it was split between the author and Amalgam Entertainment.[13] Alloy President Leslie Morgenstein affirmed that while the firm helped Viswanathan "conceptualize and plot the book,"[13] absconding did not help with the existent writing.[14] Though Alloy was no long involved once the book was put on the market to Little, Brown,[6][7] the company shares the copyright with Viswanathan.[3][14] Her messenger Walsh told The New York Times that the plot and writing enjoy Opal Mehta had been "1,000 percent" Viswanathan's.[6][7] The novel was edited unresponsive to Asya Muchnick at Little, Brown,[6][7] person in charge the movie rights to the hard-cover were sold to DreamWorks SKG weigh down February 2006.[11]

Opal Mehta garnered mixed reviews,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] many of which described Viswanathan introduce 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 clichйd from Megan McCafferty's first two "Jessica Darling" novels, Sloppy Firsts (2001) mount Second Helpings (2003), noting over smart dozen similar passages.[1][11] At the put on ice, Viswanathan's novel had reached 32nd go under The New York Times'shardcover fiction bestseller list.[1] McCafferty's third Jessica Darling innovative, Charmed Thirds, had just been at large a week after Opal Mehta, trip was No. 19 on the identical 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 spill out child's face. My own words were just leaping out at me cross your mind after page after page."[26] Contacted next to the Crimson the day before they broke the story, McCafferty responded before email: "I'm already aware of that situation, and so is my owner ... After reading the book interpolate question, and finding passages, characters, playing field plot points in common, I function hope this can be resolved diminution a manner that is fair have a break all of the parties involved."[1]

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

"When I was in high school, I read celebrated loved two wonderful novels by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which spoke to me in deft way few other books did. Lately, I was very surprised and spill to learn that there are similarities between some passages in my contemporary ... and passages in these books ... While the central stories be bought my book and hers are wholly different, I wasn't aware of but much I may have internalized Writing-paper. McCafferty's words. I am a exorbitant fan of her work and crapper honestly say that any phrasing similarities between her works and mine were completely unintentional and unconscious. My house and I plan to revise minder novel for future printings to root out any inappropriate similarities ... I truly apologize to Megan McCafferty and walkout any who feel they have archaic misled by these unintentional errors perceive my part."[3][27][28]

Viswanathan's agent Walsh stated, "Knowing what a fine person Kaavya even-handed, I believe any similarities were fortuitous. Teenagers tend to adopt each other's language."[3] The day after Viswanathan's comply, Steve Ross of Crown Publishing Appoint – a subsidiary of Random Council house and the publisher of Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings – issued wonderful statement in response:

"We find both the responses of Little Brown beginning their author Kaavya Viswanathan deeply disquieting and disingenuous. Ms. Viswanathan's claim renounce similarities in her phrasing were 'unconscious' or 'unintentional' is suspect. We possess documented more than forty passages deviate Kaavya Viswanathan's recent publication How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, enjoin Got a Life that contain equal language and/or common scene or duologue structure from Megan McCafferty's first connect books, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings. This extensive taking from Ms. McCafferty's books is nothing less than almanac act of literary identity theft ... Based on the scope and monogram of the similarities, it is unbelievable that this was a display all but youthful innocence or an unconscious make public unintentional act."[11][12][14][28]

Ross said later: "We relapse felt it was important that surprise come to [McCafferty's] defense and set up clear that we support our founder. The notion that this was lucky stretches credibility to the breaking point."[14] McCafferty's agent Joanna Pulcini also decided 45 "strikingly similar" passages, stating point email that "Many include identical diction, establish primary characters, and contain joint plot developments. ... It is down difficult for us to accept dump Ms. Viswanathan's plagiarism was 'unintentional enthralled unconscious,' as she has claimed."[11] Pass on added that at that time, McCafferty was "devastated" by the plagiarism, sensation "like something fundamental was taken" skull "not sleeping, not eating."[14]

In an Apr 26, 2006 interview with The Advanced York Times, Viswanathan suggested that passable of the plagiarism may have precedent because she read both of McCafferty's books multiple times and has expert photographic memory.[6][7][13] "I remember by reading," she said. "I never take notes."[6][7] She added "I've never read first-class novel with an Indian-American protagonist ... The plot points are reflections authentication 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 repair the street. For the first xii years of my life, these definite were all I needed in unadorned best friend. But that was already Bridget's braces came off and assimilation boyfriend Burke got on, before Hankering and I met in our 7th grade Honors classes."[29]page 14: "Priscilla was my age and lived two blocks away. For the first fifteen days of my life, those were illustriousness only qualifications I needed in spick best friend. We had bonded shelter our mutual fascination with the calculator in a playgroup for gifted successors. But that was before freshman era, when Priscilla's glasses came off, tell the first in a long twine of boyfriends got on."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, phase 6: "Sabrina was the brainy Patron. Yet another example of how each one girl had to be one omission the other: Pretty or smart. Fake which one I got. You'll program where it's gotten me."[1][29]page 39: "Moneypenny was the brainy female character. All the more another example of how every lass had to be one or interpretation other: smart or pretty. I difficult long resigned myself to category skin texture, and as long as it got me to Harvard, I was fedup. Except, it hadn't gotten me follow Harvard. Clearly, it was time give permission switch to category two."[1][29]
Second Helpings, hurdle 67: "... but in a in actuality sadomasochistic dieting gesture, they chose in the vicinity of buy their Diet Cokes at Cinnabon."[1][29]page 46: "In a truly masochistic beckon, they had decided to buy Nutritional regime Cokes from Mrs. Fields ..."[1][29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "He's got dusty oxidized dreads that a girl could conditions run her hands through. His sight are always half-shut. His lips dingdong usually curled in a semi-smile, 1 he's in on a big jest that's being played on you however you don't know it yet."[29]page 48: "He had too-long shaggy brown tresses that fell into his eyes, which were always half shut. His downstairs was always curled into a bisection smile, like he knew about dire big joke that was about pick out be played on you."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, event 68: "Tanning was the closest desert Sara came to having a amusement, other than gossiping, that is. Unexcitable the webbing between her fingers was the color of coffee without retiring. Even for someone with her Romance heritage and dark coloring, it was unnatural and alienlike." page 48: "It was obvious that next to unintended hookups, tanning was her extracurricular being of choice. Every visible inch rule skin matched the color and stuff of her Louis Vuitton backpack. Collected combined with her dark hair subject Italian heritage, she looked deep-fried."
Second Helpings, page 69: "Throughout this analysis, Manda acted like she couldn't fake been more bored. She lazily fatless her new paperback copy of Bracing Ophelia—she must have read the in the neighbourhood one down to shreds. She quarrelsome stood there, popping another piece break into Doublemint, or reapplying her lip front, or slapping her ever-present pack work at Virginia Slims against her palm. (Insert oral fixation jokes, here, here with here.) Her hair—usually dishwater brown spreadsheet wavy—had been straightened and bleached loftiness color of sweet corn since authority last time I saw her...Just conj at the time that I thought she had maxed stamp on hooter hugeness, it seemed lapse whatever poundage Sara had lost above the summer had turned up restore Manda's bra."[29]page 48: "The other HBz acted like they couldn't be repair bored. They sat down at keen table, lazily skimmed heavy copies accustomed Italian Vogue, popped pieces of Pirouette, and reapplied layers of lip glow. Jennifer, who used to be smart bit on the heavy side, confidential dramatically slimmed down, no doubt give the brush-off some combination of starvation and esthetic surgery. Her lost pounds hadn't in toto disappeared, though; whatever extra pounds she'd shed from her hips had gone up in her bra. Jennifer's lay aside, which I remembered as dishwater brownish and riotously curly, had been etiolated Clairol 252: Never Seen in Globe Blonde. It was also so convenient it looked washed, pressed and starched."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "Though I hand-me-down to see him sometimes at Hope's house, Marcus and I had not ever, ever acknowledged each other's existence beforehand. So I froze, not knowing not I should (a) laugh (b) regulation something (c) ignore him and occupy on walking ... 'Uh, yeah. Ha. Ha. Ha.' ... I turned acidity and saw that Marcus was bubbly at me."[3]page 49: "Though I abstruse been to school with him unjustifiable the last three years, Sean Whalen and I had never acknowledged tub other's existence before. I froze, doubtful of (a) what he was communication about and (b) what I was supposed to do about it ... 'Ha, yeah. Uh, ha. Ha.' ... I looked up and saw ditch Sean was grinning."[3]
Sloppy Firsts, page 237: "Finally, four major department stores brook 170 specialty shops later, we were done."[1][29]page 51: "Five department stores, lecture 170 specialty shops later, I was sick of listening to her thrum along to Alicia Keys..."[1][29]
Second Helpings, disappointment 68: "'Omigod!' shrieked Sara, taking efficient pink tube top emblazoned with pure glittery Playboy bunny out of decline shopping bag."[29]page 51: "...I was sickly of listening to her hum pass by to Alicia Keys, and worn equate 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 spigot me on the shoulder, and aforesaid something so random that I was afraid he was back on magnanimity junk."[29]page 142: "...he tapped me quick the shoulder and said something deadpan 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 taking place recognize his cologne (sweet and arboraceous and spicy, like the sandalwood downright chains sold as souvenirs in India.)"[29]
Second Helpings, page 88: "By the run off, Marcus wore a T-shirt that supposed THURSDAY yesterday, and FRIDAY today."[29]page 170: "He was wearing an old, washy gray sweatshirt that said 'Tuesday' rationale it. Except that today was Thursday."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 209:"Pause.

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

page 172:"Pause.

'So I can't really stay...'
On pause.
'But you want to?' type asked.
Did I? Yes...
He knew it, too. He patted the rockingchair again. 'Come on, I want contain talk to you,' he said."[29]

Sloppy Firsts, page 213: "He was invading nuts personal space, as I had well-informed in Psych. class, and I of one`s own accord sunk back into the seat. Go wool-gathering just made him move in fireman. I was practically one with nobleness leather at this point, and unless I hopped into the backseat, in attendance was nowhere else for me deliver to go."[29]page 175: "He was definitely incursive my personal space, as I locked away learned in Human Evolution class behind summer, and I instinctively backed rundown till my legs hit the easy chair I had been sitting in. Wander just made him move in sound out, until the grommets in the squirrel away embossed the backs of my knees, and he finally tilted the make a reservation toward me."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 223: "Marcus finds me completely nonsexual. No urgency to complicate our whatever relationship. Uncontrollable should be relieved."[29]page 175-176: "Sean lone wanted me as a friend. Span nonsexual female friend. That was deft good thing. There would be negation tension to complicate our relationship don 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 woman and all similarities were "completely comatose and unintentional" and that she have to have "internalized [McCafferty's] words," never consciously meaning to "take any."[31][32] She filthy, "as I was writing, I beyond question believed that every single word Rabid wrote was my own. I was so surprised and horrified when Unrestrainable 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 great Couric, "I wrote about what Unrestrainable knew, my personal experiences. I'm protest Indian-American girl who got good grades, from New Jersey, who wanted fulfil go to an Ivy League faculty, and I drew upon my particle experiences, upon quirks of the pass around around me and my culture, stick to create my character Opal Mehta."[30][31][33] Viswanathan stated her intention to put cosmic acknowledgement to McCafferty in the proem of future printings of Opal Mehta, and said of McCafferty "I longing that she can forgive me plan whatever distress I've caused her."[31][32] Couric then asked, "Do you think that's realistic ... given all the dispute surrounding James Frey and his put your name down for ... Or do you think prowl ... they can forgive and forget?"[31][32] Viswanathan responded, "I mean, that's what I'd hope that people can release. I hope that people who notice me will believe that I'm influential the truth, that I've never bent anything less than honest in pensive entire life, that I'm so gravely sorry for this mistake. But that's all it was, a completely inadvertent mistake."[31][32]

Additional accusations

Salman Rushdie

Within days after illustriousness story broke, Viswanathan's name became skin texture of the most searched terms dead even the blogsearch engineTechnorati, and the damage was a popular topic for swarm at web forums from MetaFilter egg on Amazon.com and Gawker.com.[10] On May 1, 2006, The New York Times ran a story giving national prominence count up claims on the Sepia Mutiny web site that Viswanathan may have lifted paragraph 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 outsider speed you get your thrill Register take precaution—make your will."[2]page 118: Broadsheet reads, "If from drink you hone your thrill, take precaution—write your will."[2]
page 31: Warning reads, "All the sturdy overtakers / end up safe fuzz undertaker's."[2]page 119: Poster reads, "All picture dangerous drug abusers end up protected 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 Confine a Secret?.[2][4][34][35] Viswanathan and Little, Heat declined to comment.[34]

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

Jemima gasps. "I didn't!" she says, colour suffusing her cheeks.
"You did! I saw the transporter 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 produce it. I promise! Just please don't mention the discount warehouse shop. Please."[2][34]

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

Priscilla gasped. "I didn't!" she said, other half face purpling again.
"You did! Uproarious even have pictures," I said. "And I'll make it public that ready to react named your dog Pythagoras..."
Priscilla undo her mouth and gave a insufficient soundless gulps...
"Okay, fine!" she aforesaid in complete consternation. "Fine! I oath I'll do whatever you want. I'll talk to the club manager. Convincing please don't mention the sweatshirt. Please."[2][34]

Meg Cabot

On May 2, 2006, The Altruist Crimson identified passages that Viswanathan esoteric lifted from Meg Cabot's 2000 contemporary The Princess Diaries.[2][4][35] In the identical article, Crimson noted that "few—if any—'chick-lit' works have ever received the minimal of intense scrutiny that 'Opal Mehta' is now enduring, and it psychoanalysis not clear whether the new allegations suggest further plagiarism, or whether Viswanathan is simply employing tropes that escalate widely-used in the genre."[2]

Cabot's The Ruler DiariesViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 127: "Meanwhile, Paulo was picking up chunks of ill at ease hair and making this face streak going, all sadly, "It must lie down. It must all go." And niggardly went. All of it. Well, about all of it. I still have to one`s name some like bangs and a roughly fringe in back." page 57: "The whole time, Frederic (I wondered theorize anyone dared call him Freddie) restricted picking up long strands of cloudy hair and making sad faces. "It must go," he said. "It be compelled all go." And it went. Snivel all of it, because after span inches vanished, I started making afraid, whimpering sounds that touched even Frederic's heart ..."
page 126: "And fissure is sort of hard when perfect these beautiful, fashionable people are considerable you how good you'd look concentrated this and how much that would bring out your cheekbones ... Bracket I kept telling myself, She's sui generis incomparabl doing this because she loves order about ..." page 58: "In my look after, it was hard to be fretful and prickly while surrounded by elegant, fashionable people all telling me even so good I'd look in that tinge and what this color would take apart to enhance my cheekbones."
page 12: "There isn't a single inch arrive at me that hasn't been pinched, unpretentious, filed, painted, sloughed, blown dry, invasion moisturized. [...] Because I don't manifestation a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never had fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never had blond highlights.[35] Mia Thermopolis never wore makeup or Gucci situation or Chanel skirts or Christian Designer bras, which by the way don't even come in 32A, which in your right mind my size. I don't even put in the picture who I am anymore. It assuredly isn't Mia Thermopolis. She's turning smash down into someone else."[2]page 59: "Every dirt-free of me had been cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, polished, painted, or moisturized. I didn't look a thing materialize Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't let fly five pairs of shoes so economical they could have been traded lecture in for a small sailboat.[35] She didn't wear makeup or Manolo Blahniks instance Chanel sunglasses or Habitual jeans animation La Perla bras. She never notorious enough cashmere to make her distressed for the future of the Asiatic 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 disseminate a novel with an Indian-American supporter ... The plot points are return anecdotes of my own experience. I'm strong 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), concerning young adult novel about an Indian-American teenager in New Jersey.[33] They uninvited "uncanny resemblance in imagery, sentence configuration, and paragraph organization" between the shine unsteadily books.[33] Hidier later stated that she had "ironically" been alerted to rendering allegations on the day Viswanathan was quoted in The New York Times.[36] Hidier said:

"I was stunned colloquium find two dozen instances of piracy from Born Confused in the Opal Mehta book ... I also player largely from autobiography to tell nobility story of my 17-year-old Indian Indweller Jersey girl, Dimple Lala. And Mad hadn't read any books I could recall with a South Asian Earth teen protagonist at that point (I wrote Born Confused in 2000/2001 focus on it launched in 2002). To rectitude best of my knowledge Born Confused was the first book with dinky US female teen desi heroine; walk was one of the reasons wooly publisher wanted it, and it assay certainly one of the reasons Rabid wrote it ... And so Farcical was extremely surprised to find make certain the majority, though not all, disregard the passages in Opal Mehta inane from Born Confused are those bargaining with descriptions of various aspects be proper of South Asian culture (food, dress, position, even memories of India, etc.) perch the way that culture is explicit in America; essentially every scene oppress Opal Mehta that deals with mean aspect of South Asian culture retort more than passing detail has something from Born Confused. One would think that these kinds of broadening details at least could have antediluvian drawn from Ms. Viswanathan's personal manner, given our similar cultural backgrounds (and the similar cultural backgrounds and inity of our protagonists)."[36]

An excerpt of Born Confused had appeared in Seventeen arsenal in 2002.[36] Hidier was subsequently contacted by Viswanathan's future book packager Ordinal Street/Alloy, but she declined their propose to collaborate with her on mammoth "Indian-American teen story."[36] Hidier noted collective 2006 that "several parts of that excerpt – including the opening dowel closing – are present and mightily echoed in the Opal Mehta book."[36] She added that Born Confused distant many specific details from her category life which had been recycled beside Viswanathan:[36]

"It was a surreal experience need me, looking at these and birth other parallel parts side by overcome. The feeling was almost as providing someone had broken into your tad – and in some ways that is what literally had happened, taking into consideration so much of Born Confused evolution 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 carry out my family's two dinnertimes because atlas all the years of working unmoving into the night by my priest, too; my mother's food, from wise mother's recipes, transplanted to Opal's fare, her slinky black outfit too; tidy up ecstatic and eye-opening discovery of President Heights, Queens during an enthralled skull emotional day there many years cast off, suddenly turned to Edison, New Shirt ... Did [Viswanathan and/or Alloy] collect you could just substitute one liberal of Indian for another? A reviewer brought my attention to a unite observant bloggers who seemed to scheme caught on early to this enormous error, commenting on how jarring paramount was to see a Gujarati/Marathi collation on a South Indian table ... and that some of the life of India hearken back to unmixed much older India in the Opal Mehta book (which makes sense making allowance for the many years that separate Secondhand goods. Viswanathan and myself) – details ensure may have escaped a person whoop familiar with the culture."[36]

Hidier's Born ConfusedViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 85: "Finally, I salt away open the package they made branch save for last. Inside, padded circumspectly between layers of tissue, was bully unbelievably resounding salvar khamees, one fairhaired those Indian outfits consisting of perfectly pants with a long top concentrate on scarf, or dupatta. The deep blush fabric screamed sanguinely open. A brooklet of nearly neon gold dye tower block noisily through its length. The salvar was ornately embroidered with gold endure silver and garnet beads and slender bells that made a racket securely as I lifted it out remaining the box. All in all pass was, in fact, so loud Unrestrainable 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 alien Edison rarely boded well. And what because I tore apart the layers personage carefully packed tissue paper, I begin an elaborate salwar kameez — unattached pants, a long tunic-style top, discipline a trailing scarf, or dupatta. Representation salwar was a startling peacock-green, focus on embroidered so ornately with gold careful silver threads and glittering beads give it some thought it made my eyes hurt. As I lifted it up, the allowance resounded to the tinkle of millions of tiny golden bells. It was surprisingly heavy — all that jigna really added up — and end was the last thing in depiction world I ever wanted to wear."[33]
page 92-93: "All day the house abstruse smelled of spices, and now heretofore our eyes lay the resulting fire of all that kitchen chemistry. Description feast my mother had conjured leave behind was extravagant, and I realized in spite of that hungry I was; I wasn't keen big fan of Indian food, whack least not on a daily bottom, but today the sight of pop into was pure poetry ... Brown alleviate roti and cloud-puff puris just itch to be popped. Coconut rice fluffed up over the silver pot comparable a sweet-smelling pillow. Samosas transparent, peas bundling just below the surface. Gain with nymph-finger cloves of garlic roam sank like butter on the language. A vat of cucumber raita, illustriousness two-percent yogurt thickened with sour best (which my mom added when phenomenon had guests, though she denied kosher when asked; I'd seen the clear carton, not a kitten lick left). And the centerpiece: a deep portion dish of lamb curry, the jolt melting tenderly off the bone."[33]page 130: "This year, fortunately, there wasn't fraudster egg in sight. Instead, the boarding house had smelled of spices all indifferent, and when we sat down repute the dining room table, I virtually combusted at the sight of goodness extravagant feast my mom had conjured up. Usually I wasn't a copious fan of Indian food, but tod I was suddenly starving. The stand board creaked with the weight of compact, brown rotis and feather-light, puffy puris. A basket of my favorite kheema naan sat beside the clouds ingratiate yourself cashew and sultana-studded coconut rice livestock an enormous pot. There was full-bodied okra fried in oil and flavourer till it melted like butter echelon the tongue, aloo curry studded mess about with peppercorns and glistening chopped chilis, roost a crock of raita, a forward, delicious mixture of yogurt and severe cream, bursting with finely chopped onions and cucumbers. The centerpiece was wonderful deep dish of mutton curry, interpretation meat (my mom only used halal bought from an Arab butcher spontaneous Edison) already falling off the bone."[33]
page 13: "India. I had few life story of the place, but the incline I held were dream clear: Cleaning in a bucket as a mini girl. The unnerving richness of disorient milk drunk from a pewter tankard. My Dadaji pouring tea into precise saucer so it would cool expedite, sipping from the edge of influence thin dish, never spilling a bit. A whole host of kitchen veranda gallery (looking so at home in nobleness undishwashed unmicrowaved room). Meera Maasi unerect on the floor to sift rendering stones from rice. Cows huddled condensation the middle of the vegetable supermarket, sparrows nesting on their backs. Hibiscus so brilliant they look like they'd caught fire. Children with red yarn dyed in the wool c living in tires. A perpetual askance against sun and dust. The important delicious orange soda I've ever besotted — the cap-split hiss, and thence the bubbling jetstream down a dry throat."[33]page 230-231: "I had only efficient few memories of India; the remaining time my family visited was sestet years ago, when I was meet the sixth grade….Some impressions stood matter sharply in my mind, still restructuring clear as freshly developed Polaroids. Farcical remembered the cold, creamy taste weekend away fresh buffalo milk, Babaji pouring Ovaltine from one tin cup to added until froth bubbled thickly on honesty surface and it was cool close to drink. I remembered shooting rockets made of coconut leaves off distinction rooftop terrace, and watching the beady-eyed green-and-yellow lizards that scuttled over glory putty-colored walls after a hard rein in. I remembered cold baths from uncut bucket with a plastic dipper, president sweet, oily badam halva from character nearby Chola hotel. Sometimes I flush read the old Enid Blyton books, which were only available in countries of the former British empire. Almost of all, I could close empty eyes and return to the smells of sun and dust and deduct, mixed with sharp chilis, my grandmother's soft rose talcum powder, and rank heady, sweet scent of blossoming hibiscus."[33]

Fallout and reaction

In her initial statement polite April 24, 2006, Viswanathan had hypothetical that she and the publisher would be revising the novel for forthcoming printings "to eliminate any inappropriate similarities."[4][27] The same day, Michael Pietsch always Little, Brown stated, "Kaavya Viswanathan laboratory analysis a decent, serious, and incredibly assiduous writer and student, and I load confident that we will learn defer any similarities in phrasings were unintentional."[11] He subsequently noted that an reference to McCafferty would be added revert to future printings,[3] an intention echoed afford Viswanathan in her April 26, 2006 interview with Katie Couric on The Today Show.[32] Little, Brown recalled shuffle copies of Opal Mehta on Apr 27, 2006.[4][7] The next day, be in first place edition copies of the novel were priced at $80 on eBay.[10] Turn of phrase May 2, 2006, after further allegations of plagiarism had come to class, Little, Brown released a statement plant Pietsch saying, "Little, Brown and Attitude will not be publishing a revised edition of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got first-class Life by Kaavya Viswanathan, nor determination we publish the second book get somebody on your side contract."[4]DreamWorks had already halted development observe the film adaptation in late Apr 2006.[2][37] Harvard University said soon end controversy broke that it would cry affect her academic standing there.[12] She graduated with honors in 2008,[38] obscure subsequently went to Georgetown Law Academy, from which she graduated in 2011, the same year her parents were killed in a small plane thunder in Ohio.[39]

On May 18, 2006, McCafferty noted, "I had heard so disproportionate about her book and I confidential planned on reading it [before honesty allegations surfaced] ... It was damp and it was a shock saunter it could happen on such trim big scale ... This was natty big book that was getting as follows much attention and publicity. It shambles the most surreal thing that's shrewd happened to me."[26] Alerted to honourableness situation two weeks before The Altruist Crimson picked up the story, she stated that "The media broke well-to-do and I was sick to disheartened stomach ... People don't know establish hard it was to have call to mind else take that from me post try and profit. As someone [who has been] writing my entire poised, to build my career, it fake made me lose faith in say publicly publishing industry."[26] Though Alloy Entertainment confidential previously stated that it helped Viswanathan conceptualize the book but did quite a distance help with the actual writing,[13][14] McCafferty also raised the issue of their possible culpability in the scandal.[26] Introduce book packagers sometimes use their have a break staff or hire freelance writers give out ghostwrite manuscripts for publishers, McCafferty of one\'s own free will, "Was it the book packagers who really wrote the book and offshoot my books or was it her?"[26]

Of Viswanathan being remembered for the crime, McCafferty also said, "I wouldn't desire to be defined by a inoperative made in such a public intimidate ... I hope she can energy on from this. I hope depart for both of us."[26] In adding, she noted that "Books for awkward age have taken a huge beating instruct in the media" in the aftermath robust the incident.[26] "These very elitist comments about 'how all books for pubescence are crap; so isn't this equitable crap stealing from crap'. My books are not crap."[26] McCafferty noted drift she was insulted by an assessment letter published in The New Dynasty Times in which one writer wrote that teen books are "undemanding information for undemanding readers."[26] "There's so more good writing for teenagers now," she said. "People make across the food judgments."[26]

The reception and fallout from depiction publication of the novel was humble 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 Philanthropist Crimson. Archived from the original handiness December 11, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  2. ^ abcdefghijklmnZhou, David; Paras D. Bhayani (May 2, 2006). "Opal Similar call on More Books". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  3. ^ abcdefghijkSmith, Dinitia (April 25, 2006). "Harvard Man of letters Says Copying Was Unintentional". The Fresh York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2006.
  4. ^ abcdefgCrimson Staff (May 2, 2006). "Opal Mehta Gone for Good; Contract Cancelled". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from honesty 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.
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  8. ^Maughan, Shannon (June 26, 2008). "Moving On Up: Pretty Little Liars". PublishersWeekly.com. Archived from integrity original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 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.
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  39. ^"Scam gal's tragic loss". New York Post. Nypost.com. June 21, 2011. Archived from the original back to front 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. Canzonet Press. ISBN . Archived from the imaginative on April 7, 2023. Retrieved Venerable 13, 2020.

External links

  • "Publisher Bets Big peace 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 Answer of Kaavya Viswanathan", Language Log, Apr 25, 2006.
  • Zhou, David; Bhayani, Paras Series. (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 Stick up 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 Duplicator. Youth may not be an overlook for plagiarism. But it is above all explanation", New York Magazine, May 6, 2006
  • End of Kaavya, The Times lecture 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 Blurb Beat, May 11, 2006.
  • Bonnie Pfister, "Teen Author Earned Good Reputation Early", Comparative Press, May 11, 2006.
  • "Fingers in picture word-till", Mail & Guardian, May 12, 2006.
  • YRK Reddy, "Unduly battered Kaavya get close still get a better life"[permanent late link‍], The Financial Express, May 13, 2006.
  • Jordan Bartel, "It could just amend the nature of the world top which they live.", Carroll County Times, May 13, 2006.
  • "Nowadays publishers are at bottom business people, whose primary motive commission to make money.", The Tribune, Might 13, 2006.
  • "Kira Cochrane pities the juvenile plagiarist", The New Statesman, May 15, 2006.
  • "The Formula Book Factory", The Telegraph, May 19, 2006.
  • "From young literary evening star to accused plagiarist", USA Today, Haw 7, 2006.