Author Sherman Alexie Wants to Punch You in the Face

weatherman · 06-01-2009, 06:01 PM

From an article in the NY Times today;

"At a panel of authors speaking mainly to independent booksellers, Sherman Alexie, the National Book Award-winning author of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” said he refused to allow his novels to be made available in digital form. He called the expensive reading devices “elitist” and declared that when he saw a woman sitting on the plane with a Kindle on his flight to New York, “I wanted to hit her.”"

I couldn't believe this when I read it. I was offended on several different levels, but most of all I was just really aghast at the level of ignorance and stupidity on the part of this author, especially as an author of young adult fiction. Worse yet, when given a chance to correct himself on his own blog, the only thing he apologizes for is the idea of hitting a woman;

"I should have edited myself. I should have said, "I saw a man on the airplane reading a Kindle and I wanted to hit him." In this way, my joke becomes about my true object of fear, distrust, and anger---the Kindle---and not about the gender of the person reading the Kindle."

I personally will be dropping a line to his current publisher, and I hope other Kindlers and those who read books on other electronic devices will too;

Hanging Loose Press
231 Wycoff St.
Brooklyn NY 11217
212-206-8465
info@hangingloosepress.com

Nate the great · 06-01-2009, 06:03 PM

I'm going to move this to the news & commentary forum. He may have said Kindle, but he meant all ebook readers.

poohbear_nc · 06-01-2009, 06:10 PM

What a maroon!! (to quote a wise rabbit). I'll certainly be alerting his publishers to my disgust at this incident.

Daithi · 06-01-2009, 06:17 PM

I sent his publisher a brief email letting them know why I wouldn't be purchasing any Sherman Alexie books in the near future. (I didn't put it into the email, but Sherman should know -- I punch back.)

grooks · 06-01-2009, 06:24 PM

Does he want to only hit Kindle owners or all ebook readers in general?

Cabe · 06-01-2009, 06:32 PM

Only owners of blue sony's

Seriously, it took music artists a long time to get on the mp3 bandwagon, now look at them!

I'm sure the author will have plenty of time to eat his words.

PhishStyx · 06-01-2009, 06:35 PM

I have to ask, how is hitting a man in the face more of a joke than hitting a woman in the face?

Idoine · 06-01-2009, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhishStyx

I have to ask, how is hitting a man in the face more of a joke than hitting a woman in the face?

You can read the "joke" here

no.guru · 06-01-2009, 06:41 PM

I will continue doing what I've always done: not buying his books.

zerospinboson · 06-01-2009, 06:44 PM

Alternatively, you could read it as him being angry over the fact that people apparently have the money to use on discretionary spending, and they prefer buying a kindle over reading his books, with him being insulted either over that, or over the fact that the masses in fact do have the money to buy these things. Admittedly that doesn't fit with his "elitist" charge, but it's about as useful to claim as what he's claiming, so...

no.guru · 06-01-2009, 06:56 PM

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook75182.htm

Gideon · 06-01-2009, 07:02 PM

Bah... I work in the circles where "elite" issues are very relevant and that is nonsense.

Most the people I know who have such devices are middle class/lower middle class who spend most the entertainment budget on books and having a Kindle pays for itself for these heavy readers.

What a load.

gerraldo · 06-01-2009, 07:05 PM

He seems to be a fighter, not a lover...

Oilbert · 06-01-2009, 07:11 PM

And the fun thing is that he claimed to resist ever having his books published in electronic form ... but there they are on the Kindle store, ready for download.

zerospinboson · 06-01-2009, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oilbert

And the fun thing is that he claimed to resist ever having his books published in electronic form ... but there they are on the Kindle store, ready for download.

Please don't buy it.

One generally finds that writers who are as self-important as this guy is are somewhat lacking in the between-the-ears department.

06-01-2009, 06:01 PM	#1
weatherman Addict Posts: 385 Karma: 1010052 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: (previous: Kindle 2, Kindle Fire) Kindle 4 WiFi, K3K, KPW	Author Sherman Alexie Wants to Punch You in the Face From an article in the NY Times today; "At a panel of authors speaking mainly to independent booksellers, Sherman Alexie, the National Book Award-winning author of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” said he refused to allow his novels to be made available in digital form. He called the expensive reading devices “elitist” and declared that when he saw a woman sitting on the plane with a Kindle on his flight to New York, “I wanted to hit her.”" I couldn't believe this when I read it. I was offended on several different levels, but most of all I was just really aghast at the level of ignorance and stupidity on the part of this author, especially as an author of young adult fiction. Worse yet, when given a chance to correct himself on his own blog, the only thing he apologizes for is the idea of hitting a woman; "I should have edited myself. I should have said, "I saw a man on the airplane reading a Kindle and I wanted to hit him." In this way, my joke becomes about my true object of fear, distrust, and anger---the Kindle---and not about the gender of the person reading the Kindle." I personally will be dropping a line to his current publisher, and I hope other Kindlers and those who read books on other electronic devices will too; Hanging Loose Press 231 Wycoff St. Brooklyn NY 11217 212-206-8465 info@hangingloosepress.com

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06-01-2009, 06:03 PM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I'm going to move this to the news & commentary forum. He may have said Kindle, but he meant all ebook readers.

06-01-2009, 06:10 PM	#3
poohbear_nc Bah! Humbug! Posts: 64,193 Karma: 135242149 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Durham, NC Device: Every Kindle Ever Made & To Be Made!	What a maroon!! (to quote a wise rabbit). I'll certainly be alerting his publishers to my disgust at this incident.

06-01-2009, 06:17 PM	#4
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	I sent his publisher a brief email letting them know why I wouldn't be purchasing any Sherman Alexie books in the near future. (I didn't put it into the email, but Sherman should know -- I punch back.)

06-01-2009, 06:24 PM	#5
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	Does he want to only hit Kindle owners or all ebook readers in general?

06-01-2009, 06:32 PM	#6
Cabe Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 403 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Portsmouth, UK Device: Sony PRS-505, iPhone	Only owners of blue sony's Seriously, it took music artists a long time to get on the mp3 bandwagon, now look at them! I'm sure the author will have plenty of time to eat his words.

06-01-2009, 06:35 PM	#7
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	I have to ask, how is hitting a man in the face more of a joke than hitting a woman in the face?

06-01-2009, 06:41 PM	#9
no.guru Crazy like a Posts: 229 Karma: 2368978 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Sony PRS-T1, Sony PRS-350	I will continue doing what I've always done: not buying his books.

06-01-2009, 06:44 PM	#10
zerospinboson "Assume a can opener..." Posts: 755 Karma: 1942109 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Local Cluster Device: iLiad v2, DR1000	Alternatively, you could read it as him being angry over the fact that people apparently have the money to use on discretionary spending, and they prefer buying a kindle over reading his books, with him being insulted either over that, or over the fact that the masses in fact do have the money to buy these things. Admittedly that doesn't fit with his "elitist" charge, but it's about as useful to claim as what he's claiming, so...

06-01-2009, 06:56 PM	#11
no.guru Crazy like a Posts: 229 Karma: 2368978 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Sony PRS-T1, Sony PRS-350	http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook75182.htm

06-01-2009, 07:02 PM	#12
Gideon Wearer of Pants Posts: 1,050 Karma: 7634 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Norman, OK Device: Amazon Kindle DX / iPhone	Bah... I work in the circles where "elite" issues are very relevant and that is nonsense. Most the people I know who have such devices are middle class/lower middle class who spend most the entertainment budget on books and having a Kindle pays for itself for these heavy readers. What a load.

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06-01-2009, 07:05 PM	#13
gerraldo Anti-DRM Advocate Posts: 351 Karma: 960 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Vienna/Austria Device: CyBook Gen 3, Palm Tungsten T3	He seems to be a fighter, not a lover...

06-01-2009, 07:11 PM	#14
Oilbert Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 60 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Kindle, iPhone	And the fun thing is that he claimed to resist ever having his books published in electronic form ... but there they are on the Kindle store, ready for download.