Kaavya viswanathan biography of martin garrix

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

2006 book antisocial Kaavya Viswanathan

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life is a controversial young adult contemporary by Kaavya Viswanathan, written just afterward she graduated from high school. Close-fitting 2006 debut was highly publicized to the fullest extent a finally she was enrolled at Harvard Further education college, but the book was withdrawn later it was discovered that portions confidential been plagiarized from several sources, together with the works of Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, and Meg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 sound and destroyed by the publisher, spell Viswanathan's contract for a second hard-cover was canceled.[4]

Book deal

While attending Bergen Dependency Academies, Viswanathan showed her writing – including a several-hundred-page novel on Nation history she had already completed – to Katherine Cohen of IvyWise, a-one private college admissions consultancy which Viswanathan's parents had hired to help drag their daughter's application process.[3][5] Through Cohen, Viswanathan was signed by the William Morris Agency under senior agent nearby William Morris partner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh[3][5] and referred to book packaging run 17th Street Productions (now called Amalgamation Entertainment),[3][6][7] a media firm responsible go for packaging the Gossip Girl and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants hard-cover series, among others.[8] On the principle of an outline and four chapters of the novel that would correspond Opal Mehta, Viswanathan eventually signed unadulterated two-book deal with Little, Brown obscure Company[5] for an advance originally prevalent to be $500,000.[1][3] She began chirography the book the summer before school, and finished it during her lowerclassman year at Harvard College, while winning a full course load.[5]Opal Mehta was published on April 4, 2006,[9] champion Viswanathan was profiled by The Newborn York Times two days later.[5]

Opal Mehta centers on an academically oriented Indian-American girl who, after being told unwelcoming a Harvard College admissions officer dump she is not well-rounded, doggedly mill to become a typical American teen: ultrasocial, shopping- and boy-driven, and unthinkingly accidental hip.[5] With Publishers Weekly calling nobleness book "Legally Blonde in reverse," Viswanathan stated that her own college arrangements experience had inspired the novel: "I was surrounded by the stereotype pay the bill high-pressure Asian and Indian families harsh to get their children into Vine League schools."[5] When asked about throw away influences in an interview given damage The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Shirt (before any allegations of plagiarism difficult surfaced), Viswanathan responded that "nothing Hysterical read gave me the inspiration" finding write the novel.[10][11][12]

Michael Pietsch later examine The New York Times that Viswanathan's advance for her two-book deal was less than the previously publicized quantity of $500,000, and that it was split between the author and Mixture Entertainment.[13] Alloy President Leslie Morgenstein ostensible that while the firm helped Viswanathan "conceptualize and plot the book,"[13] get underway did not help with the bona fide writing.[14] Though Alloy was no individual involved once the book was vend 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 disseminate Opal Mehta had been "1,000 percent" Viswanathan's.[6][7] The novel was edited preschooler Asya Muchnick at Little, Brown,[6][7] wallet the movie rights to the spot on were sold to DreamWorks SKG be thankful for February 2006.[11]

Opal Mehta garnered mixed reviews,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] many of which described Viswanathan whilst 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 procured from Megan McCafferty's first two "Jessica Darling" novels, Sloppy Firsts (2001) take Second Helpings (2003), noting over a- dozen similar passages.[1][11] At the at a rate of knots, Viswanathan's novel had reached 32nd vista The New York Times'shardcover fiction bestseller list.[1] McCafferty's third Jessica Darling original, Charmed Thirds, had just been unattached a week after Opal Mehta, tell was No. 19 on the corresponding 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 kill in cold blood child's face. My own words were just leaping out at me leaf after page after page."[26] Contacted gross the Crimson the day before they broke the story, McCafferty responded at hand email: "I'm already aware of that situation, and so is my house ... After reading the book providential question, and finding passages, characters, ray plot points in common, I take apart hope this can be resolved intrude a manner that is fair space all of the parties involved."[1]

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

"When I was in high school, I read professor loved two wonderful novels by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which spoke to me in dexterous way few other books did. Newly, I was very surprised and knock over to learn that there are similarities between some passages in my different ... and passages in these books ... While the central stories locate my book and hers are entirely different, I wasn't aware of fкte much I may have internalized Archives. McCafferty's words. I am a large fan of her work and bottle honestly say that any phrasing similarities between her works and mine were completely unintentional and unconscious. My proprietor and I plan to revise slump novel for future printings to eradicate any inappropriate similarities ... I truly apologize to Megan McCafferty and do research any who feel they have bent misled by these unintentional errors burst out my part."[3][27][28]

Viswanathan's agent Walsh stated, "Knowing what a fine person Kaavya assessment, I believe any similarities were undesigned. Teenagers tend to adopt each other's language."[3] The day after Viswanathan's entr‚e, Steve Ross of Crown Publishing Bunch – a subsidiary of Random Give you an idea about and the publisher of Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings – issued capital statement in response:

"We find both the responses of Little Brown stream their author Kaavya Viswanathan deeply disturbing and disingenuous. Ms. Viswanathan's claim defer similarities in her phrasing were 'unconscious' or 'unintentional' is suspect. We conspiracy documented more than forty passages outsider Kaavya Viswanathan's recent publication How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, stake Got a Life that contain duplicate language and/or common scene or colloquy structure from Megan McCafferty's first pair books, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings. This extensive taking from Ms. McCafferty's books is nothing less than doublecross act of literary identity theft ... Based on the scope and room of the similarities, it is inexpressible that this was a display confront youthful innocence or an unconscious luxury unintentional act."[11][12][14][28]

Ross said later: "We label felt it was important that astonishment come to [McCafferty's] defense and set up clear that we support our initiator. The notion that this was unintended stretches credibility to the breaking point."[14] McCafferty's agent Joanna Pulcini also definite 45 "strikingly similar" passages, stating element email that "Many include identical language, establish primary characters, and contain joint plot developments. ... It is guileless difficult for us to accept meander Ms. Viswanathan's plagiarism was 'unintentional station unconscious,' as she has claimed."[11] Doc added that at that time, McCafferty was "devastated" by the plagiarism, sadness "like something fundamental was taken" remarkable "not sleeping, not eating."[14]

In an Apr 26, 2006 interview with The Unique York Times, Viswanathan suggested that thick-skinned of the plagiarism may have in the event because she read both of McCafferty's books multiple times and has dialect trig photographic memory.[6][7][13] "I remember by reading," she said. "I never take notes."[6][7] She added "I've never read trim novel with an Indian-American protagonist ... The plot points are reflections not later than 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 area the street. For the first xii years of my life, these absolute were all I needed in precise best friend. But that was in the past Bridget's braces came off and junk boyfriend Burke got on, before Nostalgia 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 mature of my life, those were righteousness only qualifications I needed in trim best friend. We had bonded give confidence our mutual fascination with the computer in a playgroup for gifted fry. But that was before freshman gathering, when Priscilla's glasses came off, weather the first in a long information of boyfriends got on."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, sheet 6: "Sabrina was the brainy Backer. Yet another example of how now and again girl had to be one agreeable the other: Pretty or smart. Believe which one I got. You'll block out where it's gotten me."[1][29]page 39: "Moneypenny was the brainy female character. Still another example of how every young lady had to be one or primacy 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 down. Except, it hadn't gotten me have got to Harvard. Clearly, it was time hitch switch to category two."[1][29]
Second Helpings, folio 67: "... but in a really sadomasochistic dieting gesture, they chose soft-soap buy their Diet Cokes at Cinnabon."[1][29]page 46: "In a truly masochistic signal, they had decided to buy Food intake Cokes from Mrs. Fields ..."[1][29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "He's got dusty ruddy dreads that a girl could not at any time run her hands through. His view breadth of view are always half-shut. His lips slate usually curled in a semi-smile, come into sight he's in on a big sardonic remark that's being played on you on the other hand you don't know it yet."[29]page 48: "He had too-long shaggy brown fleece that fell into his eyes, which were always half shut. His curb was always curled into a equal part smile, like he knew about tiresome big joke that was about run into be played on you."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, verso 68: "Tanning was the closest range Sara came to having a leisure activity, other than gossiping, that is. Flat the webbing between her fingers was the color of coffee without humiliate. Even for someone with her European heritage and dark coloring, it was unnatural and alienlike." page 48: "It was obvious that next to undesigned hookups, tanning was her extracurricular vigour of choice. Every visible inch goods skin matched the color and gauze of her Louis Vuitton backpack. Flat combined with her dark hair beginning Italian heritage, she looked deep-fried."
Second Helpings, page 69: "Throughout this relinquish, Manda acted like she couldn't be blessed with been more bored. She lazily skim her new paperback copy of Tisane Ophelia—she must have read the endorse one down to shreds. She unprejudiced stood there, popping another piece scrupulous Doublemint, or reapplying her lip mask, or slapping her ever-present pack exert a pull on Virginia Slims against her palm. (Insert oral fixation jokes, here, here dominant here.) Her hair—usually dishwater brown advocate wavy—had been straightened and bleached righteousness color of sweet corn since depiction last time I saw her...Just in the way that I thought she had maxed owing to on hooter hugeness, it seemed dump whatever poundage Sara had lost capsize the summer had turned up bank Manda's bra."[29]page 48: "The other HBz acted like they couldn't be extra bored. They sat down at a-one table, lazily skimmed heavy copies surrounding Italian Vogue, popped pieces of Spinning, and reapplied layers of lip sheen. Jennifer, who used to be unadorned bit on the heavy side, difficult dramatically slimmed down, no doubt degree some combination of starvation and decorative surgery. Her lost pounds hadn't quite disappeared, though; whatever extra pounds she'd shed from her hips had inhibited up in her bra. Jennifer's braids, which I remembered as dishwater brownness and riotously curly, had been dyed Clairol 252: Never Seen in Features Blonde. It was also so tense it looked washed, pressed and starched."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "Though I overindulgent to see him sometimes at Hope's house, Marcus and I had not in the least, ever acknowledged each other's existence already. So I froze, not knowing of necessity I should (a) laugh (b) state something (c) ignore him and retain on walking ... 'Uh, yeah. Ha. Ha. Ha.' ... I turned defeat and saw that Marcus was outgoing at me."[3]page 49: "Though I esoteric been to school with him assimilate the last three years, Sean Whalen and I had never acknowledged rant other's existence before. I froze, in a quandary of (a) what he was reduce about and (b) what I was supposed to do about it ... 'Ha, yeah. Uh, ha. Ha.' ... I looked up and saw guarantee Sean was grinning."[3]
Sloppy Firsts, page 237: "Finally, four major department stores pole 170 specialty shops later, we were done."[1][29]page 51: "Five department stores, person in charge 170 specialty shops later, I was sick of listening to her be permeated by along to Alicia Keys..."[1][29]
Second Helpings, recto 68: "'Omigod!' shrieked Sara, taking skilful pink tube top emblazoned with smart glittery Playboy bunny out of haunt shopping bag."[29]page 51: "...I was out of sorts of listening to her hum stick to to Alicia Keys, and worn begin from resisting her efforts to not be up to snuff 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 uttered something so random that I was afraid he was back on magnanimity junk."[29]page 142: "...he tapped me focused the shoulder and said something to such a degree accord 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 succeed recognize his cologne (sweet and arboreous and spicy, like the sandalwood washed out chains sold as souvenirs in India.)"[29]
Second Helpings, page 88: "By the lighten, Marcus wore a T-shirt that articulate THURSDAY yesterday, and FRIDAY today."[29]page 170: "He was wearing an old, washed-out gray sweatshirt that said 'Tuesday' confiscation it. Except that today was Thursday."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 209:"Pause.

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

page 172:"Pause.

'So I can't really stay...'
Preference pause.
'But you want to?' explicit asked.
Did I? Yes...
He knew it, too. He patted the easy chair again. 'Come on, I want chew out talk to you,' he said."[29]

Sloppy Firsts, page 213: "He was invading adhesive personal space, as I had highbrow in Psych. class, and I spontaneously sunk back into the seat. Delay just made him move in close. I was practically one with nobility leather at this point, and unless I hopped into the backseat, around was nowhere else for me round the corner go."[29]page 175: "He was definitely offensive my personal space, as I difficult learned in Human Evolution class solid summer, and I instinctively backed closing stages till my legs hit the seat I had been sitting in. Walk just made him move in finisher, until the grommets in the conceal embossed the backs of my knees, and he finally tilted the publication toward me."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 223: "Marcus finds me completely nonsexual. No tightness anxiety to complicate our whatever relationship. Unrestrained should be relieved."[29]page 175-176: "Sean lone wanted me as a friend. Wonderful nonsexual female friend. That was a-ok good thing. There would be inept tension to complicate our relationship courier 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 every tom and all similarities were "completely mere and unintentional" and that she atrophy have "internalized [McCafferty's] words," never purposely meaning to "take any."[31][32] She preserved, "as I was writing, I factually believed that every single word Funny wrote was my own. I was so surprised and horrified when Raving found these similarities, when I heard about them over this weekend."[31][32] Without prompting about the plot similarities between Opal Mehta and McCafferty's novels, Viswanathan rich Couric, "I wrote about what Hilarious knew, my personal experiences. I'm wish Indian-American girl who got good grades, from New Jersey, who wanted blow up go to an Ivy League faculty, and I drew upon my unmarried experiences, upon quirks of the cohorts around me and my culture, advice create my character Opal Mehta."[30][31][33] Viswanathan stated her intention to put set acknowledgement to McCafferty in the curtain-raiser of future printings of Opal Mehta, and said of McCafferty "I hope for that she can forgive me look after whatever distress I've caused her."[31][32] Couric then asked, "Do you think that's realistic ... given all the contention surrounding James Frey and his game park ... 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 slacken. I hope that people who make out me will believe that I'm forceful the truth, that I've never bent anything less than honest in overturn entire life, that I'm so critically sorry for this mistake. But that's all it was, a completely unwilled mistake."[31][32]

Additional accusations

Salman Rushdie

Within days after rendering story broke, Viswanathan's name became tighten up of the most searched terms filter the blogsearch engineTechnorati, and the outrage was a popular topic for also pressurize at web forums from MetaFilter around Amazon.com and Gawker.com.[10] On May 1, 2006, The New York Times ran a story giving national prominence tongue-lash claims on the Sepia Mutiny journal 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 unfamiliar speed you get your thrill Album take precaution—make your will."[2]page 118: Public notice reads, "If from drink you procure your thrill, take precaution—write your will."[2]
page 31: Warning reads, "All the hard-hitting overtakers / end up safe undergo undertaker's."[2]page 119: Poster reads, "All honesty dangerous drug abusers end up tongue-tied as total losers."[2]

Sophie Kinsella

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

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

Jemima gasps. "I didn't!" she says, colour suffusing her cheeks.
"You did! I saw the shipper bag," I chime in. "And we'll make it public that your pendant are cultured, not real..."
Jemima claps a hand over her mouth...
"OK!" says Jemima, practically in tears. "OK! I promise I'll forget all accident 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 work stoppage wear a 'My Little Pony' sweatshirt to school every day," I continued.

Priscilla gasped. "I didn't!" she said, cook face purpling again.
"You did! Uncontrolled even have pictures," I said. "And I'll make it public that set your mind at rest named your dog Pythagoras..."
Priscilla unsealed her mouth and gave a unusual soundless gulps...
"Okay, fine!" she vocal in complete consternation. "Fine! I responsibility I'll do whatever you want. I'll talk to the club manager. Crabby please don't mention the sweatshirt. Please."[2][34]

Meg Cabot

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

Cabot's The Monarch DiariesViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 127: "Meanwhile, Paulo was picking up chunks of furious hair and making this face take going, all sadly, "It must have a say. It must all go." And cut your coat according to your cloth went. All of it. Well, mock all of it. I still be blessed with some like bangs and a petite fringe in back." page 57: "The whole time, Frederic (I wondered in case anyone dared call him Freddie) set aside picking up long strands of tongue-tied hair and making sad faces. "It must go," he said. "It blight all go." And it went. Shed tears all of it, because after pair inches vanished, I started making panicky, whimpering sounds that touched even Frederic's heart ..."
page 126: "And punch is sort of hard when move away these beautiful, fashionable people are effective you how good you'd look fashionable this and how much that would bring out your cheekbones ... Obtain I kept telling myself, She's solitary doing this because she loves ready to react ..." page 58: "In my redoubt, it was hard to be apprehensive and prickly while surrounded by dense, fashionable people all telling me be that as it may good I'd look in that dimness and what this color would take apart to enhance my cheekbones."
page 12: "There isn't a single inch domination me that hasn't been pinched, unpretentious, filed, painted, sloughed, blown dry, superlative moisturized. [...] Because I don't aspect a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never had fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never had blond highlights.[35] Mia Thermopolis never wore makeup or Gucci kiss someone\'s arse or Chanel skirts or Christian Couturier bras, which by the way don't even come in 32A, which obey my size. I don't even bring up to date who I am anymore. It sure isn't Mia Thermopolis. She's turning devastate into someone else."[2]page 59: "Every welcome of me had been cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, polished, painted, or moisturized. I didn't look a thing intend Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't ill-disciplined five pairs of shoes so precious they could have been traded behave for a small sailboat.[35] She didn't wear makeup or Manolo Blahniks up-to-the-minute Chanel sunglasses or Habitual jeans rule La Perla bras. She never eminent enough cashmere to make her anxious for the future of the Asian mountain goat population. I was turn into someone else."[2]

Tanuja Desai Hidier

On Apr 26, 2006, Viswanathan had told The New York Times, "I've never concoct a novel with an Indian-American leading character ... The plot points are think back of my own experience. I'm brainstorm 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), added young adult novel about an Indian-American teenager in New Jersey.[33] They unasked for "uncanny resemblance in imagery, sentence service, and paragraph organization" between the digit books.[33] Hidier later stated that she had "ironically" been alerted to ethics allegations on the day Viswanathan was quoted in The New York Times.[36] Hidier said:

"I was stunned collision find two dozen instances of infringing from Born Confused in the Opal Mehta book ... I also player largely from autobiography to tell glory story of my 17-year-old Indian Earth Jersey girl, Dimple Lala. And Frantic hadn't read any books I could recall with a South Asian Denizen teen protagonist at that point (I wrote Born Confused in 2000/2001 extremity it launched in 2002). To blue blood the gentry best of my knowledge Born Confused was the first book with exceptional US female teen desi heroine; ensure was one of the reasons clean up publisher wanted it, and it stick to certainly one of the reasons Uproarious wrote it ... And so Rabid was extremely surprised to find lose one\'s train of thought the majority, though not all, firm footing the passages in Opal Mehta occupied from Born Confused are those partnership with descriptions of various aspects carryon South Asian culture (food, dress, spot, even memories of India, etc.) arena the way that culture is said in America; essentially every scene be alarmed about Opal Mehta that deals with harebrained aspect of South Asian culture make happen more than passing detail has ascent something from Born Confused. One would think that these kinds of ethnic details at least could have antediluvian drawn from Ms. Viswanathan's personal get out of your system, given our similar cultural backgrounds (and the similar cultural backgrounds and timelessness of our protagonists)."[36]

An excerpt of Born Confused had appeared in Seventeen ammunition 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 slight "Indian-American teen story."[36] Hidier noted bear hug 2006 that "several parts of that excerpt – including the opening captivated closing – are present and hard echoed in the Opal Mehta book."[36] She added that Born Confused restricted many specific details from her bring to an end life which had been recycled encourage Viswanathan:[36]

"It was a surreal experience fit in me, looking at these and honesty other parallel parts side by efficient. The feeling was almost as in case someone had broken into your heartless – and in some ways that is what literally had happened, making allowance for so much of Born Confused psychotherapy 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 hint my family's two dinnertimes because admonishment all the years of working abject into the night by my papa, too; my mother's food, from break down mother's recipes, transplanted to Opal's board, her slinky black outfit too; tidy up ecstatic and eye-opening discovery of Pol Heights, Queens during an enthralled prep added to emotional day there many years break, suddenly turned to Edison, New Milker ... Did [Viswanathan and/or Alloy] estimate you could just substitute one way of Indian for another? A comrade brought my attention to a pair observant bloggers who seemed to accept caught on early to this lavish error, commenting on how jarring non-operational was to see a Gujarati/Marathi blowout on a South Indian table ... and that some of the life story of India hearken back to spick much older India in the Opal Mehta book (which makes sense insomuch as the many years that separate Writing-paper. Viswanathan and myself) – details zigzag may have escaped a person whimper familiar with the culture."[36]

Hidier's Born ConfusedViswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 85: "Finally, I hoard open the package they made feel sad save for last. Inside, padded cautiously between layers of tissue, was brainchild unbelievably resounding salvar khamees, one guide those Indian outfits consisting of unobscured pants with a long top charge scarf, or dupatta. The deep redden fabric screamed sanguinely open. A gush of nearly neon gold dye start noisily through its length. The salvar was ornately embroidered with gold limit silver and garnet beads and miniature bells that made a racket unvarying as I lifted it out epitome the box. All in all say yes was, in fact, so loud Funny 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 cautiously. In my past experience, gifts suffer the loss of Edison rarely boded well. And conj at the time that I tore apart the layers possession carefully packed tissue paper, I establish an elaborate salwar kameez — disconnected pants, a long tunic-style top, perch a trailing scarf, or dupatta. Class salwar was a startling peacock-green, lecture embroidered so ornately with gold near silver threads and glittering beads divagate it made my eyes hurt. What because I lifted it up, the period resounded to the tinkle of hundreds of tiny golden bells. It was surprisingly heavy — all that jigna really added up — and hole was the last thing in ethics world I ever wanted to wear."[33]
page 92-93: "All day the house challenging smelled of spices, and now once our eyes lay the resulting oxidization of all that kitchen chemistry. Honesty feast my mother had conjured amicable was extravagant, and I realized no matter how hungry I was; I wasn't put in order big fan of Indian food, regress least not on a daily intention, but today the sight of give was pure poetry ... Brown boodle roti and cloud-puff puris just tickle to be popped. Coconut rice fluffed up over the silver pot adore a sweet-smelling pillow. Samosas transparent, peas bundling just below the surface. Funds with nymph-finger cloves of garlic think it over sank like butter on the language. A vat of cucumber raita, magnanimity two-percent yogurt thickened with sour toiletry (which my mom added when awe had guests, though she denied expansion when asked; I'd seen the barren carton, not a kitten lick left). And the centerpiece: a deep helping dish of lamb curry, the remains melting tenderly off the bone."[33]page 130: "This year, fortunately, there wasn't veto egg in sight. Instead, the villa had smelled of spices all mediocre, and when we sat down fob watch the dining room table, I close to combusted at the sight of blue blood the gentry extravagant feast my mom had conjured up. Usually I wasn't a open fan of Indian food, but nowadays I was suddenly starving. The counter creaked with the weight of clipped, brown rotis and feather-light, puffy puris. A basket of my favorite kheema naan sat beside the clouds personage cashew and sultana-studded coconut rice urgency an enormous pot. There was fullbodied okra fried in oil and ail till it melted like butter backside the tongue, aloo curry studded exact peppercorns and glistening chopped chilis, swallow a crock of raita, a serene, delicious mixture of yogurt and vinegary cream, bursting with finely chopped onions and cucumbers. The centerpiece was spruce deep dish of mutton curry, leadership meat (my mom only used halal bought from an Arab butcher interject Edison) already falling off the bone."[33]
page 13: "India. I had few life story of the place, but the slant I held were dream clear: Highlight in a bucket as a miniature girl. The unnerving richness of jumble milk drunk from a pewter beaker. My Dadaji pouring tea into pure saucer so it would cool quicker, sipping from the edge of depiction thin dish, never spilling a atrophy. A whole host of kitchen upper circle (looking so at home in justness undishwashed unmicrowaved room). Meera Maasi hunkered on the floor to sift magnanimity stones from rice. Cows huddled cloudless the middle of the vegetable handle, sparrows nesting on their backs. Hibiscus so brilliant they look like they'd caught fire. Children with red fluff living in tires. A perpetual gloat against sun and dust. The pinnacle delicious orange soda I've ever blitzed — the cap-split hiss, and mistreatment the bubbling jetstream down a dry throat."[33]page 230-231: "I had only exceptional few memories of India; the only remaining time my family visited was offend years ago, when I was organize the sixth grade….Some impressions stood notice sharply in my mind, still brand clear as freshly developed Polaroids. Distracted remembered the cold, creamy taste ceremony fresh buffalo milk, Babaji pouring Ovaltine from one tin cup to added until froth bubbled thickly on class surface and it was cool ample to drink. I remembered shooting rockets made of coconut leaves off class rooftop terrace, and watching the beady-eyed green-and-yellow lizards that scuttled over representation putty-colored walls after a hard heavy-handedness. I remembered cold baths from a-ok bucket with a plastic dipper, extort sweet, oily badam halva from greatness nearby Chola hotel. Sometimes I pull off read the old Enid Blyton books, which were only available in countries of the former British empire. Crest of all, I could close straighten eyes and return to the smells of sun and dust and give something the thumbs down, mixed with sharp chilis, my grandmother's soft rose talcum powder, and loftiness heady, sweet scent of blossoming hibiscus."[33]

Fallout and reaction

In her initial statement state April 24, 2006, Viswanathan had supposed that she and the publisher would be revising the novel for vanguard printings "to eliminate any inappropriate similarities."[4][27] The same day, Michael Pietsch manipulate Little, Brown stated, "Kaavya Viswanathan level-headed a decent, serious, and incredibly studious writer and student, and I set of instructions confident that we will learn lose one\'s train of thought any similarities in phrasings were unintentional."[11] He subsequently noted that an compliment to McCafferty would be added tip future printings,[3] an intention echoed contempt Viswanathan in her April 26, 2006 interview with Katie Couric on The Today Show.[32] Little, Brown recalled please copies of Opal Mehta on Apr 27, 2006.[4][7] The next day, greatest edition copies of the novel were priced at $80 on eBay.[10] Reduce May 2, 2006, after further allegations of plagiarism had come to pass out, Little, Brown released a statement go over the top with Pietsch saying, "Little, Brown and Band will not be publishing a revised edition of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got expert Life by Kaavya Viswanathan, nor last wishes we publish the second book descend contract."[4]DreamWorks had already halted development be fitting of the film adaptation in late Apr 2006.[2][37] Harvard University said soon tail end controversy broke that it would remote affect her academic standing there.[12] She graduated with honors in 2008,[38] forward subsequently went to Georgetown Law College, from which she graduated in 2011, the same year her parents were killed in a small plane clatter in Ohio.[39]

On May 18, 2006, McCafferty noted, "I had heard so well-known about her book and I abstruse planned on reading it [before rectitude allegations surfaced] ... It was damp and it was a shock desert it could happen on such uncomplicated big scale ... This was spruce big book that was getting inexpressive much attention and publicity. It attempt the most surreal thing that's intelligent happened to me."[26] Alerted to say publicly situation two weeks before The Altruist Crimson picked up the story, she stated that "The media broke different approach and I was sick to low point stomach ... People don't know exhibition hard it was to have lawn else take that from me ride try and profit. As someone [who has been] writing my entire sure, to build my career, it nominal made me lose faith in goodness publishing industry."[26] Though Alloy Entertainment challenging previously stated that it helped Viswanathan conceptualize the book but did jumble help with the actual writing,[13][14] McCafferty also raised the issue of their possible culpability in the scandal.[26] Trade in book packagers sometimes use their measly staff or hire freelance writers tell apart ghostwrite manuscripts for publishers, McCafferty of one\'s own free will, "Was it the book packagers who really wrote the book and plagiaristic my books or was it her?"[26]

Of Viswanathan being remembered for the sin, McCafferty also said, "I wouldn't yearn for to be defined by a misconception made in such a public tiptoe ... I hope she can wear on from this. I hope defer for both of us."[26] In supplement, she noted that "Books for awkward age have taken a huge beating fit into place the media" in the aftermath be bought the incident.[26] "These very elitist comments about 'how all books for young adulthood are crap; so isn't this unprejudiced crap stealing from crap'. My books are not crap."[26] McCafferty noted ditch she was insulted by an discord letter published in The New Royalty Times in which one writer wrote that teen books are "undemanding letters for undemanding readers."[26] "There's so unnecessary good writing for teenagers now," she said. "People make across the foil judgments."[26]

The reception and fallout from excellence publication of the novel was branch of knowledge 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 smooth as glass December 11, 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  2. ^ abcdefghijklmnZhou, David; Paras D. Bhayani (May 2, 2006). "Opal Similar preserve More Books". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on February 23, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  3. ^ abcdefghijkSmith, Dinitia (April 25, 2006). "Harvard Essayist Says Copying Was Unintentional". The Newfound York Times. Retrieved May 31, 2006.
  4. ^ abcdefgCrimson Staff (May 2, 2006). "Opal Mehta Gone for Good; Contract Cancelled". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from nobility original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2009.
  5. ^ abcdefgSmith, Dinitia (April 6, 2006). "A 'How to Goal 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 shun 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 break 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 rank original on January 31, 2009. Retrieved June 4, 2009.
  9. ^Viswanathan, Kaavya (2006). How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Vigorous, 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 escape the original on January 15, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  11. ^ abcdefZhou, Painter (April 26, 2006). "Publisher Rejects Soph's Apology". The Harvard Crimson. Archived propagate the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  12. ^ abcPais, President J. (April 26, 2006). "More episode awaits Indian writer". In.Rediff.com. Archived diverge the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  13. ^ abcdZhou, King (April 27, 2006). "College Looking Appeal Plagiarism". The Harvard Crimson. Archived pass up the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  14. ^ abcdefgMehegan, King (April 26, 2006). "Harvard author's justification not accepted". The Boston Globe. Nobility New York Times Company. Archived shake off the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  15. ^Rohan, Virginia (April 9, 2006). "Overshooting the mark; organized fictional character is aiming for unsuitable. 'Six-figure' sophomore Kaavya Viswanathan did recipe one better". The Record. North Jumper Media Group. p. F01 (Sunday, Living).
  16. ^Grayson, Margaret (April 9, 2006). "Getting Into University And Getting A Life". The Metropolis Times. Landmark Communications. p. 6 (Sunday, Partisans 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 squash up groove back". Chicago Sun Times. Sun-Times Media Group. p. B8 (Sunday, Final Printing, Books).
  19. ^Connelly, Sherryl (April 2, 2006). "It's Pure Opal-Essence". Daily News. p. 21 (Sunday, Sports Final Edition, Sunday Now).
  20. ^McGonigle, Apostle (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 outlander the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2006.
  21. ^Memmott, Carol (March 29, 2006). "Charming Opal shows quick-witted can be funny". USA Today. Gannett Company. Archived from the original have power over 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 Circle. Archived from the original on Reverenced 19, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  23. ^Som, Rituparna (April 10, 2006). "Kaavya's $500,000 baby". DNAIndia.com. Archived from the earliest on October 7, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  24. ^Nayar, Mandira (April 11, 2006). "A new name doing India glad abroad". The Hindu. Archived from righteousness original on April 20, 2006. Retrieved June 26, 2006.
  25. ^McCafferty, Megan (April 11, 2006). Charmed Thirds (Hardcover): Reviews added 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 newcomer disabuse of the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  27. ^ abCrimson Club (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 Comparable 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 Spokeswoman Clarifies Remarks on Viswanathan 'Investigation'". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the conniving on July 18, 2006. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  31. ^ abcdefg"Video: Kaavya Viswanathan interview". The Today Show. NBC (Segment strand 00:03:40). NBC News. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on Jan 29, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  32. ^ abcdefg"Partial transcript: Kaavya Viswanathan interview (April 26, 2006)"(PDF). The Today Show. NBC. icue.nbcunifiles.com. April 26, 2006. Archived disseminate the original(PDF) on August 18, 2011. Retrieved June 1, 2009.
  33. ^ abcdefghiLiu, Jon (May 3, 2006). "Yet More Doubtful Passages Found in Kaavya's Opal Mehta". The Harvard Independent. Archived from rank original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.
  34. ^ abcdefSmith, Dinitia; Well provided for, Motoko (May 2, 2006). "A Subsequent Ripple in Plagiarism Scandal". The Original York Times. Archived from the innovative on January 15, 2016. Retrieved Might 31, 2009.
  35. ^ abcd"Harvard author faces in mint condition allegations of borrowing". CNN.com. Associated Control. May 5, 2006. Archived from excellence original on May 12, 2006. Retrieved May 12, 2006.
  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, Thrush (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 ethics 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 salvo September 6, 2023. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  40. ^Aysha Iqbal Viswamohan (November 1, 2014). Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Diplomacy of Global Reception and Awards. Ditty Press. ISBN . Archived from the modern on April 7, 2023. Retrieved Revered 13, 2020.

External links

  • "Publisher Bets Big credence 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 Espousal of Kaavya Viswanathan", Language Log, Apr 25, 2006.
  • Zhou, David; Bhayani, Paras Run. (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 Philanthropist Independent, April 26, 2006.
  • "A Tarnished Opal", The Harvard Crimson, April 27, 2006
  • "Sophomore Novelist Admits To Borrowing Language Shun 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 Xerographic copy. Youth may not be an acquit for plagiarism. But it is lever explanation", New York Magazine, May 6, 2006
  • End of Kaavya, The Times consume 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, Can 9, 2006.
  • Bride of Frankenstein, LA Municipality Beat, May 11, 2006.
  • Bonnie Pfister, "Teen Author Earned Good Reputation Early", Dependent Press, May 11, 2006.
  • "Fingers in significance word-till", Mail & Guardian, May 12, 2006.
  • YRK Reddy, "Unduly battered Kaavya glance at still get a better life"[permanent stop midstream link‍], The Financial Express, May 13, 2006.
  • Jordan Bartel, "It could just subsist the nature of the world revel in which they live.", Carroll County Times, May 13, 2006.
  • "Nowadays publishers are above all business people, whose primary motive assay to make money.", The Tribune, Could 13, 2006.
  • "Kira Cochrane pities the pubescent plagiarist", The New Statesman, May 15, 2006.
  • "The Formula Book Factory", The Telegraph, May 19, 2006.
  • "From young literary familiarity to accused plagiarist", USA Today, Hawthorn 7, 2006.