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| Hearsay: |
Harper’s has been serializing the novel Happyland after it was mysteriously dropped by Norton in the 11th hour. Even though he’s still looking for a publisher, it may have been the best thing to ever happen to author John Robert Lennon.
Norton declined to specify why it dropped “Happyland.” But Lennon said the editing process had been going smoothly, and that legal questions emerged only after he submitted the final of multiple drafts. Since signing a contract with the publisher in June 2004, Lennon had been working with Robert Weil, a veteran editor known for line-editing as aggressively as he tries to drum up attention for his authors. “I’d worked with Bob before on ‘Mailman’” — Lennon’s well-received 2003 novel, also published by Norton — “and we had a really good editorial relationship,” he said. It was Weil, Lennon said, who suggested he cut a lot of subordinate characters and bring Happy Masters to the fore. “He wanted there to be more drama and a stronger narrative through line,” Lennon said. “I’d send them pages, he’d send them back for more tweaking. The whole issue of legal questions never came up.” (Weil declined to comment.)
I’d like to remind you about the Canadian Happyland, and ask you to take a moment buy it to flesh out your poetry collection with some real good stuff. Um, obviously not here, but somewhere.
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August 28th, 2006 at 9:48 am
The New York Times reporter wrote:
Novels are frequently based on real people, but it’s extremely rare for a publisher to drop one because of libel concerns. “I’ve never heard of a novel being pulled for fear of defamation claims,” said Paul Aiken, the executive director of the Authors Guild. He said a novelist could be sued if “the character is clearly based on a real person and the person is identifiable and people would believe that it’s factual.” But it’s difficult to prove libel in fiction, especially if the character in question is modeled on someone who could be considered a public figure, for whom the standards of defamation are higher.
In Canada (and in Britain, too, I believe), a writer can be sued for libel if his fictional character can be identified as someone living and if the fictional portrayal damages that person’s reputation. Paul Aiken is describing only the American legal reality.
August 28th, 2006 at 5:22 pm
Well, until it’s published, there’s always Canada’s own book with the title Happyland, by Canada’s own Kevin Connolly. I recomend it highly. http://www.amazon.ca/Happyland-Kevin-Connolly/dp/1550225146/sr=8-1/qid=1156803583/ref=sr_1_1/701-2839701-2847551?ie=UTF8&s=gateway
August 28th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
Um, did you read the post, Pauly?
August 28th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
I get Harpers every month and have been really puzzled by this novel, Happyland. I may be missing something but it strikes me as mawkish and silly. Has anyone else read it? And did anyone like it?