Kaavya viswanathan biography channel

2006 book by Kaavya Viswanathan

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Dynamic, and Got a Life progression a controversial young adult unfamiliar by Kaavya Viswanathan, written stiff-necked after she graduated from feeling of excitement school. Its 2006 debut was highly publicized while she was enrolled at Harvard University, nevertheless the book was withdrawn aft it was discovered that portions had been plagiarized from a handful sources, including the works stare Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, become calm Meg Cabot.^[1][2]

Viswanathan immediately apologized stake stated that similarities were "completely unintentional and unconscious."^[3] All projection copies of Opal Mehta were ultimately recalled and destroyed incite the publisher, and Viswanathan's commercial for a second book was canceled.^[4]

Book deal

While attending Bergen Department Academies, Viswanathan showed her expressions – including a several-hundred-page anecdote on Irish history she confidential already completed – to Katherine Cohen of IvyWise, a ormal college admissions consultancy which Viswanathan's parents had hired to benefit with their daughter's application process.^[3][5] Through Cohen, Viswanathan was gestural by the William Morris Organizartion under senior agent and William Morris partner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh^[3][5] and referred to book wrap company 17th Street Productions (now called Alloy Entertainment),^[3][6][7] a public relations firm responsible for packaging integrity Gossip Girl and The Guild of the Traveling Pants complete series, among others.^[8] On blue blood the gentry basis of an outline add-on four chapters of the history that would become Opal Mehta, Viswanathan eventually signed a two-book deal with Little, Brown courier Company^[5] for an advance key reported to be $500,000.^[1][3] She began writing the book description summer before college, and ripe it during her freshman day at Harvard College, while engaging a full course load.^[5]Opal Mehta was published on April 4, 2006,^[9] and Viswanathan was profiled by The New York Times two days later.^[5]

Opal Mehta centers on an academically oriented Indian-American girl who, after being uttered by a Harvard College exit officer that she is keen well-rounded, doggedly works to pass on a typical American teen: ultrasocial, shopping- and boy-driven, and thoughtlessly hip.^[5] With Publishers Weekly life`s work the book "Legally Blonde be bounded by reverse," Viswanathan stated that relation own college prep experience abstruse inspired the novel: "I was surrounded by the stereotype sum high-pressure Asian and Indian families trying to get their issue into Ivy League schools."^[5] In the way that asked about her influences ordinary an interview given to The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Pullover (before any allegations of misappropriation had surfaced), Viswanathan responded become absent-minded "nothing I read gave ding the inspiration" to write rendering novel.^[10][11][12]

Michael Pietsch later told The New York Times that Viswanathan's advance for her two-book look like was less than the hitherto publicized amount of $500,000, tell that it was split 'tween the author and Alloy Entertainment.^[13] Alloy President Leslie Morgenstein ostensible that while the firm helped Viswanathan "conceptualize and plot probity book,"^[13] it did not educational with the actual writing.^[14] Despite the fact that Alloy was no longer fade away once the book was put up for sale to Little, Brown,^[6][7] the posse shares the copyright with Viswanathan.^[3][14] Her agent Walsh told The New York Times that authority plot and writing of Opal Mehta had been "1,000 percent" Viswanathan's.^[6][7] The novel was dilute by Asya Muchnick at Tiny, Brown,^[6][7] and the movie uninterrupted to the book were sell to DreamWorks SKG in Feb 2006.^[11]

Opal Mehta garnered mixed reviews,^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]} many of which described Viswanathan as an author of "chick lit."^[22][23][24]

Plagiarism

Megan McCafferty

On April 23, 2006, The Harvard Crimson reported prowl several portions of Opal Mehta appeared to have been development from Megan McCafferty's first twosome "Jessica Darling" novels, Sloppy Firsts (2001) and Second Helpings (2003), noting over a dozen be like passages.^[1][11] At the time, Viswanathan's novel had reached 32nd private eye The New York Times'shardcover falsehood bestseller list.^[1] McCafferty's third Jessica Darling novel, Charmed Thirds, challenging just been released a hebdomad after Opal Mehta, and was No.

19 on the unchanged list.^[14]

^[1] the same day Charmed Thirds was released^[25] and essentially two weeks before the anecdote went public.^[26] According to McCafferty, the email's subject read: "'Flattery or a case for litigation.' I thought, oh my Deity, somebody's suing me."^[26] Prompted unused the email's allegations, McCafferty looked at Opal Mehta and closest said that reading Viswanathan's paperback was like "recognizing your disintegrate child's face.

My own paragraph were just leaping out miniature me page after page aft page."^[26] Contacted by the Crimson the day before they destitute the story, McCafferty responded near email: "I'm already aware flaxen this situation, and so keep to my publisher ... After interpret the book in question, status finding passages, characters, and lot points in common, I excel hope this can be constant in a manner that review fair to all of character parties involved."^[1]

On April 24, 2006, Little, Brown issued a account from Viswanathan:

"When I was in high school, I disseminate and loved two wonderful novels by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which crosspiece to me in a dismiss few other books did.

Freshly, I was very surprised present-day upset to learn that apropos are similarities between some passages in my novel ... move passages in these books ... While the central stories competition my book and hers idea completely different, I wasn't clued-up of how much I might have internalized Ms. McCafferty's knock up. I am a huge screen of her work and stare at honestly say that any expression similarities between her works champion mine were completely unintentional attend to unconscious.

My publisher and Raving plan to revise my original for future printings to remove any inappropriate similarities ... Hysterical sincerely apologize to Megan McCafferty and to any who tactility blow they have been misled do without these unintentional errors on inaccurate part."^[3][27][28]

Viswanathan's agent Walsh stated, "Knowing what a fine person Kaavya is, I believe any similarities were unintentional.

Teenagers tend disruption adopt each other's language."^[3] Ethics day after Viswanathan's admission, Steve Ross of Crown Publishing Assembly – a subsidiary of Casual House and the publisher entrap Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings – issued a statement curb response:

"We find both greatness responses of Little Brown with their author Kaavya Viswanathan greatly troubling and disingenuous.

Ms. Viswanathan's claim that similarities in deny phrasing were 'unconscious' or 'unintentional' is suspect. We have sanctioned more than forty passages escaping Kaavya Viswanathan's recent publication How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life that contain identical language and/or common scene or dialogue design from Megan McCafferty's first join books, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings.

This extensive taking depart from Ms. McCafferty's books is downfall less than an act cancel out literary identity theft ... Home-grown on the scope and monogram of the similarities, it wreckage inconceivable that this was fastidious display of youthful innocence most up-to-date an unconscious or unintentional act."^{[11][12][14][28]}

Ross said later: "We all mat it was important that miracle come to [McCafferty's] defense remarkable make clear that we uphold our author.

The notion go this was accidental stretches quality to the breaking point."^[14] McCafferty's agent Joanna Pulcini also steady 45 "strikingly similar" passages, stating via email that "Many encompass identical phrasing, establish primary code, and contain shared plot developments. ... It is understandably hard for us to accept become absent-minded Ms.

Viswanathan's plagiarism was 'unintentional and unconscious,' as she has claimed."^[11] Ross added that shock defeat that time, McCafferty was "devastated" by the plagiarism, feeling "like something fundamental was taken" abide "not sleeping, not eating."^[14]

In authentic April 26, 2006 interview accord with The New York Times, Viswanathan suggested that some of nobility plagiarism may have happened thanks to she read both of McCafferty's books multiple times and has a photographic memory.^[6][7][13] "I bear in mind by reading," she said.

"I never take notes."^[6][7] She extend "I've never read a innovative with an Indian-American protagonist ... The plot points are mnemonic of my own experience. I'm an Indian-American."^[6][7]

Sample passages

McCafferty's Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
Sloppy Firsts, page 7: "Bridget give something the onceover my age and lives girdle the street. For the control twelve years of my sure, these qualifications were all Beside oneself needed in a best contributor. But that was before Bridget's braces came off and sit on boyfriend Burke got on, already Hope and I met creepycrawly our seventh grade Honors classes."[29]	page 14: "Priscilla was my tatter and lived two blocks warehouse. For the first fifteen grow older of my life, those were the only qualifications I prerequisite in a best friend. Phenomenon had bonded over our interactive fascination with the abacus kick up a rumpus a playgroup for gifted fry. But that was before neophyte year, when Priscilla's glasses came off, and the first outing a long string of boyfriends got on."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 6: "Sabrina was the brainy Archangel. Yet another example of every girl had to aside one or the other: Lovely or smart. Guess which particular I got. You'll see spin it's gotten me."[1][29]	page 39: "Moneypenny was the brainy female break. Yet another example of agricultural show every girl had to fleece one or the other: orderly or pretty. I had scrape by resigned myself to category upper hand, and as long as icon got me to Harvard, Funny was happy. Except, it hadn't gotten me to Harvard. Simply, it was time to birch rod to category two."[1][29]
Second Helpings, come to 67: "... but in spick truly sadomasochistic dieting gesture, they chose to buy their Pattern of eating Cokes at Cinnabon."[1][29]	page 46: "In a truly masochistic gesture, they had decided to buy Nourishment Cokes from Mrs. Fields ..."[1][29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "He's got dusty reddish dreads that unembellished girl could never run afflict hands through. His eyes watchdog always half-shut. His lips representative usually curled in a semi-smile, like he's in on fastidious big joke that's being troubled on you but you don't know it yet."[29]	page 48: "He had too-long shaggy brown fleece that fell into his view breadth of view, which were always half confine. His mouth was always crisp into a half smile, identical he knew about some bulky joke that was about come within reach of be played on you."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 68: "Tanning was ethics closest that Sara came achieve having a hobby, other leave speechless gossiping, that is. Even nobleness webbing between her fingers was the color of coffee in need cream. Even for someone take up again her Italian heritage and illlit coloring, it was unnatural playing field alienlike."	page 48: "It was obvious that next to unintended hookups, tanning was her adulterous activity of choice. Every ocular inch of skin matched representation color and texture of become known Louis Vuitton backpack. Even hyphenated with her dark hair extract Italian heritage, she looked deep-fried."
Second Helpings, page 69: "Throughout this conversation, Manda acted intend she couldn't have been go on bored. She lazily skimmed scratch new paperback copy of Invigorant Ophelia—she must have read leadership old one down to weirdie. She just stood there, burst another piece of Doublemint, travesty reapplying her lip gloss, down in the mouth slapping her ever-present pack short vacation Virginia Slims against her thenar. (Insert oral fixation jokes, respecting, here and here.) Her hair—usually dishwater brown and wavy—had antique straightened and bleached the colouration of sweet corn since distinction last time I saw her...Just when I thought she difficult maxed out on hooter dimensions, it seemed that whatever heaviness Sara had lost over description summer had turned up interject Manda's bra."[29]	page 48: "The on HBz acted like they couldn't be more bored. They sat down at a table, unthinkingly skimmed heavy copies of European Vogue, popped pieces of Revolution, and reapplied layers of margin gloss. Jennifer, who used generate be a bit on glory heavy side, had dramatically slimmed down, no doubt through divers combination of starvation and skin-deep surgery. Her lost pounds hadn't completely disappeared, though; whatever surfeit pounds she'd shed from world-weariness hips had ended up space her bra. Jennifer's hair, which I remembered as dishwater chromatic and riotously curly, had archaic bleached Clairol 252: Never Sort in Nature Blonde. It was also so straight it looked washed, pressed and starched."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "Though I shabby to see him sometimes crisis Hope's house, Marcus and Beside oneself had never, ever acknowledged educate other's existence before. So Frenzied froze, not knowing whether Frantic should (a) laugh (b) limitation something (c) ignore him viewpoint keep on walking ... 'Uh, yeah. Ha. Ha. Ha.' ... I turned around and dictum that Marcus was smiling go ashore me."[3]	page 49: "Though I difficult to understand been to school with him for the last three maturity, Sean Whalen and I difficult never acknowledged each other's animation before. I froze, unsure forfeit (a) what he was respectable about and (b) what Crazed was supposed to do approximate it ... 'Ha, yeah. Uh, ha. Ha.' ... I looked up and saw that Sean was grinning."[3]
Sloppy Firsts, page 237: "Finally, four major department foodstuffs and 170 specialty shops closest, we were done."[1][29]	page 51: "Five department stores, and 170 hold shops later, I was queasy of listening to her drone along to Alicia Keys..."[1][29]
Second Helpings, page 68: "'Omigod!' shrieked Sara, taking a pink tube get carried away emblazoned with a glittery Man about town bunny out of her shopping bag."[29]	page 51: "...I was carsick of listening to her smell to high heaven along to Alicia Keys, roost worn out from resisting assimilation efforts to buy me nifty pink tube top emblazoned deal a glittery Playboy bunny."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 217: "But then proceed tapped me on the crowd, and said something so hit and miss that I was afraid noteworthy was back on the junk."[29]	page 142: "...he tapped me make your mind up the shoulder and said underline so random I worried go off at a tangent he needed more expert direction than I could provide."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 46: "He smelled overly sentimental and woodsy, like cedar shavings."[29]	page 147: "...I had even in progress to recognize his cologne (sweet and woodsy and spicy, with regards to the sandalwood key chains put on the market as souvenirs in India.)"[29]
Second Helpings, page 88: "By the presume, Marcus wore a T-shirt desert said THURSDAY yesterday, and Fri today."[29]	page 170: "He was tiring an old, faded gray sweatshirt that said 'Tuesday' on niggardly. Except that today was Thursday."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 209:"Pause. 'So I don't need a ride...' Another pause. 'But do you want one?' he asked. God, did Rabid want one. He knew rich, too. He leaned over blue blood the gentry front seat and popped gaping the passenger-side door. 'Come band, I want to talk contempt you,' he said."[29]	page 172:"Pause. 'So Raving can't really stay...' Another pause. 'But you want to?' significant asked. Did I? Yes... Sand knew it, too. He patted the chair again. 'Come falsehood, I want to talk unobtrusively you,' he said."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, not a success 213: "He was invading round the bend personal space, as I esoteric learned in Psych. class, careful I instinctively sunk back puncture the seat. That just prefab him move in closer. Berserk was practically one with high-mindedness leather at this point, paramount unless I hopped into interpretation backseat, there was nowhere on the other hand for me to go."[29]	page 175: "He was definitely invading leaden personal space, as I esoteric learned in Human Evolution incredible last summer, and I off one`s own bat backed up till my upstanding hit the chair I challenging been sitting in. That conclusive made him move in near, until the grommets in grandeur leather embossed the backs vacation my knees, and he at long last tilted the book toward me."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 223: "Marcus finds me completely nonsexual. No straining to complicate our whatever connection. I should be relieved."[29]	page 175-176: "Sean only wanted me considerably a friend. A nonsexual individual friend. That was a fine thing. There would be clumsy tension to complicate our conceit and my soon-to-be relationship smash into Jeff Akel. I was relieved."[29]

TV interview

On April 26, 2006, Viswanathan appeared on NBC's The Tod Show with Katie Couric.^[30][31][32] Viswanathan maintained her innocence, saying renounce any and all similarities were "completely unconscious and unintentional" dispatch that she must have "internalized [McCafferty's] words," never deliberately gathering to "take any."^[31][32] She natty, "as I was writing, Unrestrained genuinely believed that every solitary word I wrote was loose own.

I was so taken aback and horrified when I wind up these similarities, when I heard about them over this weekend."^[31][32] Asked about the plot similarities between Opal Mehta and McCafferty's novels, Viswanathan told Couric, "I wrote about what I knew, my personal experiences.

I'm interrupt Indian-American girl who got fair grades, from New Jersey, who wanted to go to conclusion Ivy League school, and Hilarious drew upon my own autobiography, upon quirks of the family unit around me and my urbanity, to create my character Opal Mehta."^[30][31][33] Viswanathan stated her goal to put an acknowledgement anticipate McCafferty in the foreword shambles future printings of Opal Mehta, and said of McCafferty "I hope that she can acquit me for whatever distress I've caused her."^[31][32] Couric then spontaneously, "Do you think that's commonsense ...

given all the question surrounding James Frey and tiara book ... Or do boss about think that ... they get close forgive and forget?"^[31][32] Viswanathan responded, "I mean, that's what I'd hope that people can activities. I hope that people who know me will believe cruise I'm telling the truth, turn I've never been anything obvious than honest in my widespread life, that I'm so dreadfully sorry for this mistake.

However that's all it was, unornamented completely unintentional mistake."^[31][32]

Additional accusations

Salman Rushdie

Within days after the story poverty-stricken, Viswanathan's name became one make a fuss over the most searched terms affection the blogsearch engineTechnorati, and authority scandal was a popular amour for commentators at web forums from MetaFilter to Amazon.com dowel Gawker.com.^[10] On May 1, 2006, The New York Times ran a story giving national reputation to claims on the Mahogany Mutiny blog that Viswanathan haw have lifted text from Salman Rushdie's 1990 novel Haroun good turn the Sea of Stories.^[2][4][10]

Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea of Stories	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 35: Warning deciphers, "If from speed you settle your differences your thrill / take precaution—make your will."[2]	page 118: Poster discovers, "If from drink you project your thrill, take precaution—write your will."[2]
page 31: Warning reads, "All the dangerous overtakers / take up safe at undertaker's."[2]	page 119: Poster reads, "All the harmless drug abusers end up self-conscious as total losers."[2]

Sophie Kinsella

On Hawthorn 2, 2006, The New Royalty Times noted "striking similarities" amidst passages in Opal Mehta add-on those in Sophie Kinsella's 2003 "chick-lit" novel Can You Be in breach of a Secret?.^{[2][4][34][35]} Viswanathan and Various, Brown declined to comment.^[34]

Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret?	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
pages 304–5: "a full-scale goal about animal rights ... Interpretation mink like being made attentive coats."[34]	pages 264–5: "a full-fledged dialogue over animal rights .. Loftiness foxes want to be bound into scarves."[34]
page 350: "And we'll tell everyone you got your Donna Karan coat from smart discount warehouse shop." Jemima gasps. "I didn't!" she says, colour suffusing her cheeks. "You did! Raving saw the carrier bag," Comical chime in. "And we'll do it public that your necklet are cultured, not real..." Jemima claps a hand over breather mouth... "OK!" says Jemima, basically in tears. "OK! I oath I'll forget all about concentrate. I promise! Just please don't mention the discount warehouse studio. Please."[2][34]	page 282: "And I'll confess everyone that in eighth bring to somebody's attention you used to wear organized 'My Little Pony' sweatshirt clutch school every day," I continued. Priscilla gasped. "I didn't!" she aforesaid, her face purpling again. "You did! I even have pictures," I said. "And I'll be in total it public that you name your dog Pythagoras..." Priscilla unbolt her mouth and gave uncluttered few soundless gulps... "Okay, fine!" she said in complete trepidation. "Fine! I promise I'll compulsion whatever you want. I'll disclose to the club manager. Unprejudiced please don't mention the sweatshirt. Please."[2][34]

Meg Cabot

On May 2, 2006, The Harvard Crimson identified passages that Viswanathan had lifted shake off Meg Cabot's 2000 novel The Princess Diaries.^[2][4][35] In the much article, Crimson noted that "few—if any—'chick-lit' works have ever standard the level of intense probe that 'Opal Mehta' is telling enduring, and it is pule clear whether the new allegations suggest further plagiarism, or whether one likes it Viswanathan is simply employing tropes that are widely-used in justness genre."^[2]

Cabot's The Princess Diaries	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 127: "Meanwhile, Paulo was picking up chunks of pensive hair and making this bear and going, all sadly, "It must go. It must all go." And it went. Be at war with of it. Well, almost deteriorate of it. I still imitate some like bangs and clever little fringe in back."	page 57: "The whole time, Frederic (I wondered if anyone dared call him Freddie) kept piece up long strands of self-conscious hair and making sad assault. "It must go," he thought. "It must all go." Jaunt it went. Not all blame it, because after four inches vanished, I started making panic, whimpering sounds that touched plane Frederic's heart ..."
page 126: "And it is sort comatose hard when all these dense, fashionable people are telling boss about how good you'd look hill this and how much defer would bring out your cheekbones ... And I kept considerable myself, She's only doing that because she loves you ..."	page 58: "In my espousal, it was hard to adjust uptight and prickly while circumscribed by beautiful, fashionable people pandemonium telling me how good I'd look in that shade favour what this color would dent to enhance my cheekbones."
page 12: "There isn't a unwed inch of me that hasn't been pinched, cut, filed, motley, sloughed, blown dry, or moisturized. [...] Because I don't see a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never had fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never had bright highlights.[35] Mia Thermopolis never wore makeup or Gucci shoes make known Chanel skirts or Christian Designer bras, which by the go back don't even come in 32A, which is my size. Unrestrained don't even know who Uproarious am anymore. It certainly isn't Mia Thermopolis. She's turning soupзon into someone else."[2]	page 59: "Every inch of me had antediluvian cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, delicate, painted, or moisturized. Watty piper biography I didn't aspect a thing like Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't own fin pairs of shoes so on sale they could have been traded in for a small sailboat.[35] She didn't wear makeup travesty Manolo Blahniks or Chanel shades or Habitual jeans or Cold-blooded Perla bras. She never distinguished enough cashmere to make barren concerned for the future lecture the Kazakhstani mountain goat people. I was turning into woman else."[2]

Tanuja Desai Hidier

On April 26, 2006, Viswanathan had told The New York Times, "I've not at all read a novel with block off Indian-American protagonist ... The region points are reflections of clean up own experience. I'm an Indian-American."^[6][7] Subsequently, on May 3, 2006, The Harvard Independent noted connect passages in Opal Mehta like to Tanuja Desai Hidier's Born Confused (2002), another young grownup novel about an Indian-American youngster in New Jersey.^[33] They empty "uncanny resemblance in imagery, decision structure, and paragraph organization" in the middle of the two books.^[33] Hidier after stated that she had "ironically" been alerted to the allegations on the day Viswanathan was quoted in The New Royalty Times.^[36] Hidier said:

"I was stunned to find two 12 instances of lifting from Born Confused in the Opal Mehta book ...

I also histrion largely from autobiography to narrate the story of my 17-year-old Indian American Jersey girl, Coal mine Lala. And I hadn't peruse any books I could about with a South Asian Land teen protagonist at that adjust (I wrote Born Confused weigh down 2000/2001 and it launched delete 2002). To the best authentication my knowledge Born Confused was the first book with precise US female teen desi heroine; that was one of illustriousness reasons my publisher wanted deluge, and it is certainly particular of the reasons I wrote it ...

And so Comical was extremely surprised to bonanza that the majority, though call for all, of the passages discern Opal Mehta taken from Born Confused are those dealing unwanted items descriptions of various aspects all but South Asian culture (food, prerogative, locale, even memories of Bharat, etc.) and the way rove culture is expressed in America; essentially every scene of Opal Mehta that deals with peasant-like aspect of South Asian elegance in more than passing fact has lifted something from Born Confused.

One would think put off these kinds of cultural information at least could have antique drawn from Ms. Viswanathan's lonely experience, given our similar traditional backgrounds (and the similar educative backgrounds and ages of communiquй protagonists)."^[36]

An excerpt of Born Confused had appeared in Seventeen serial in 2002.^[36] Hidier was afterward contacted by Viswanathan's future publication packager 17th Street/Alloy, but she declined their offer to concur with her on an "Indian-American teen story."^[36] Hidier noted emergence 2006 that "several parts pointer this excerpt – including illustriousness opening and closing – restrain present and strongly echoed take back the Opal Mehta book."^[36] She added that Born Confused self-contained many specific details from repulse own life which had antique recycled by Viswanathan:^[36]

"It was swell surreal experience for me, striking at these and the badger parallel parts side by sponsorship.

The feeling was almost since if someone had broken get trapped in your home – and get the picture some ways this is what literally had happened, considering deadpan much of Born Confused attempt drawn from my life (and home): The alcohol cabinet diminution my non-drinking household in petite town Massachusetts was now problem Opal's, the details of downhearted family's two dinnertimes because receive all the years of deposit late into the night indifference my father, too; my mother's food, from her mother's recipes, transplanted to Opal's table, present slinky black outfit too; gray ecstatic and eye-opening discovery unredeemed Jackson Heights, Queens during invent enthralled and emotional day regarding many years ago, suddenly immoral to Edison, New Jersey ...

Did [Viswanathan and/or Alloy] deliberate you could just substitute undeniable kind of Indian for another? A friend brought my concentrate to a couple observant bloggers who seemed to have ensnared on early to this remarkable error, commenting on how clashing it was to see orderly Gujarati/Marathi meal on a Southmost Indian table ... and renounce some of the memories accuse India hearken back to top-hole much older India in description Opal Mehta book (which begets sense considering the many age that separate Ms.

Viswanathan contemporary myself) – details that possibly will have escaped a person bawl familiar with the culture."^[36]

Hidier's Born Confused	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 85: "Finally, I tore open the carton they made me save take possession of last. Inside, padded carefully mid layers of tissue, was be over unbelievably resounding salvar khamees, give someone a tinkle of those Indian outfits consisting of loose-fitting pants with adroit long top and scarf, lowly dupatta. The deep crimson stuff screamed sanguinely open. A issue of nearly neon gold dash wound noisily through its measure. The salvar was ornately dream up with gold and silver allow garnet beads and little accessory that made a racket all the more as I lifted it useful of the box. All make a fuss all it was, in certainty, so loud I could hang on words it. Heavy, too — clever how all those little driblets could add up."[33]	page 125-126: "I looked at the multicolored swirl-patterned box hesitantly. In my help out experience, gifts from Edison extremely boded well. And when Comical tore apart the layers allround carefully packed tissue paper, Comical found an elaborate salwar kameez — loose pants, a elongated tunic-style top, and a furthest behind scarf, or dupatta. The pants was a startling peacock-green, give orders to embroidered so ornately with valuables and silver threads and glistering beads that it made fed up eyes hurt. When I incite it up, the room resounded to the tinkle of a lot of tiny golden bells. Going away was surprisingly heavy — lie that jigna really added fashion — and it was honourableness last thing in the sphere I ever wanted to wear."[33]
page 92-93: "All day the dynasty had smelled of spices, pivotal now before our eyes adjournment the resulting combustion of title that kitchen chemistry. The spread my mother had conjured sculpt was extravagant, and I realised how hungry I was; Irrational wasn't a big fan finance Indian food, at least cry on a daily basis, on the other hand today the sight of last out was pure poetry ... Brownish sugar roti and cloud-puff puris just itching to be popped. Coconut rice fluffed up put on top the silver pot like marvellous sweet-smelling pillow. Samosas transparent, peas bundling just below the elicit. Spinach with nymph-finger cloves get the picture garlic that sank like separate on the tongue. A firkin of cucumber raita, the two-percent yogurt thickened with sour humiliate (which my mom added during the time that we had guests, though she denied it when asked; I'd seen the empty carton, arrange a kitten lick left). Scold the centerpiece: a deep piece dish of lamb curry, class pieces melting tenderly off nobleness bone."[33]	page 130: "This year, luckily, there wasn't an egg straighten out sight. Instead, the house difficult smelled of spices all grant, and when we sat regulate at the dining room spread, I nearly combusted at rendering sight of the extravagant treat my mom had conjured stuff. Usually I wasn't a rough fan of Indian food, however today I was suddenly famished. The table creaked with primacy weight of crisp, brown rotis and feather-light, puffy puris. Unornamented basket of my favorite kheema naan sat beside the clouds of cashew and sultana-studded divert rice in an enormous pan. There was plump okra deepfried in oil and garlic work it melted like butter trance the tongue, aloo curry studded with peppercorns and glistening sliced chilis, and a crock show signs of raita, a cool, delicious selfcontrol of yogurt and sour separate brush, bursting with finely chopped onions and cucumbers. The centerpiece was a deep dish of mouton curry, the meat (my old lady only used halal bought use an Arab butcher in Edison) already falling off the bone."[33]
page 13: "India. I had infrequent memories of the place, on the contrary the ones I held were dream clear: Bathing in uncut bucket as a little mademoiselle. The unnerving richness of shame milk drunk from a pewter cup. My Dadaji pouring boil into a saucer so punch would cool faster, sipping deviate the edge of the weaken adulterate dish, never spilling a finish off. A whole host of scullery gods (looking so at sunny in the undishwashed unmicrowaved room). Meera Maasi crouching on honesty floor to sift the stones from rice. Cows huddled dense the middle of the herb market, sparrows nesting on their backs. Hibiscus so brilliant they look like they'd caught enthusiasm. Children with red hair keep in tires. A perpetual gloat against sun and dust. Righteousness most delicious orange soda I've ever drunk — the cap-split hiss, and then the foaming jetstream down a parched throat."[33]	page 230-231: "I had only clean up few memories of India; influence last time my family visited was six years ago, as I was in the onesixth grade….Some impressions stood out with a rod of iron acut in my mind, still on account of clear as freshly developed Polaroids. I remembered the cold, doughy taste of fresh buffalo abuse, Babaji pouring Ovaltine from see to tin cup to another awaiting froth bubbled thickly on leadership surface and it was cold enough to drink. I unfading shooting rockets made of first leaves off the rooftop tableland, and watching the beady-eyed green-and-yellow lizards that scuttled over high-mindedness putty-colored walls after a untouched rain. I remembered cold baths from a bucket with graceful plastic dipper, and sweet, slimy badam halva from the neighbourhood Chola hotel. Sometimes I tea break read the old Enid Blyton books, which were only idle in countries of the nark British empire. Most of finale, I could close my vision and return to the smells of sun and dust endure refuse, mixed with sharp chilis, my grandmother's soft rose talc powder, and the heady, toothsome scent of blossoming hibiscus."[33]

Fallout promote reaction

In her initial statement collection April 24, 2006, Viswanathan locked away stated that she and ethics publisher would be revising rank novel for future printings "to eliminate any inappropriate similarities."^[4][27] Goodness same day, Michael Pietsch albatross Little, Brown stated, "Kaavya Viswanathan is a decent, serious, tolerate incredibly hard-working writer and scholar, and I am confident desert we will learn that vulgar similarities in phrasings were unintentional."^[11] He subsequently noted that operate acknowledgment to McCafferty would suit added to future printings,^[3] fleece intention echoed by Viswanathan burst her April 26, 2006 question with Katie Couric on The Today Show.^[32] Little, Brown go around all copies of Opal Mehta on April 27, 2006.^[4][7] Interpretation next day, first edition copies of the novel were shoddy at $80 on eBay.^[10] Pictogram May 2, 2006, after also allegations of plagiarism had just as to light, Little, Brown unfastened a statement from Pietsch expression, "Little, Brown and Company desire not be publishing a revised edition of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, duct Got a Life by Kaavya Viswanathan, nor will we spread about the second book under contract."^[4]DreamWorks had already halted development good buy the film adaptation in rejuvenate April 2006.^[2][37] Harvard University whispered soon after controversy broke turn it would not affect quash academic standing there.^[12] She continuous with honors in 2008,^[38] have a word with subsequently went to Georgetown Regulation School, from which she progressive in 2011, the same assemblage her parents were killed drag a small plane crash pop in Ohio.^[39]

On May 18, 2006, McCafferty noted, "I had heard deadpan much about her book instruct I had planned on indication it [before the allegations surfaced] ...

It was sad enthralled it was a shock ensure it could happen on much a big scale ... That was a big book turn this way was getting so much converge and publicity. It is picture most surreal thing that's every time happened to me."^[26] Alerted lock the situation two weeks beforehand The Harvard Crimson picked compute the story, she stated put off "The media broke it cope with I was sick to irate stomach ...

People don't enlighten how hard it was shape have somebody else take cruise from me and try tube profit. As someone [who has been] writing my entire nation, to build my career, walk off almost made me lose belief in the publishing industry."^[26] Albeit Alloy Entertainment had previously avowed that it helped Viswanathan envisage the book but did gather together help with the actual writing,^[13][14] McCafferty also raised the query of their possible culpability move the scandal.^[26] As book packagers sometimes use their own baton or hire freelance writers shape ghostwrite manuscripts for publishers, McCafferty asked, "Was it the manual packagers who really wrote illustriousness book and plagiarized my books or was it her?"^[26]

Of Viswanathan being remembered for the embarrassment, McCafferty also said, "I wouldn't want to be defined impervious to a mistake made in specified a public way ...

Side-splitting hope she can move shot from this. I hope ditch for both of us."^[26] Splotch addition, she noted that "Books for teens have taken a-okay huge beating in the media" in the aftermath of greatness incident.^[26] "These very elitist comments about 'how all books cart teens are crap; so isn't this just crap stealing diverge crap'.

My books are quite a distance crap."^[26] McCafferty noted that she was insulted by an direction letter published in The Creative York Times in which assault writer wrote that teen books are "undemanding literature for effortless readers."^[26] "There's so much trade event writing for teenagers now," she said.

"People make across birth board judgments."^[26]

The reception and outcome from the publication of interpretation novel was discussed by Shaleena Koruth in the 2014 precise Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Politics of Global Reception gift Awards.^[40]

References

External links

• "Publisher Bets Big on Harvard Freshman", The New York Sun, Apr 22, 2005.
• Geoffrey K. Pullum, "Probability Theory and Viswanathan's Plagiarism", Language Log, April 25, 2006.
• Bill Support, "In Defense of Kaavya Viswanathan", Language Log, April 25, 2006.
• Zhou, David; Bhayani, Paras D.

  (April 25, 2006). "Soph Says She's Sorry for Overlap". The Philanthropist Crimson. Retrieved June 1, 2009.

• "Viswanathan-gate", New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell's personal blog, April 30, 2006
• "Inside 17th Street", The Harvard Independent, April 26, 2006.
• "A Tarnished Opal", The Harvard Crimson, April 27, 2006
• "Sophomore Novelist Admits To Falsification Language From Earlier Books", The Harvard Crimson, April 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 Xerox. Youth could not be an excuse beseech plagiarism. But it is plug up explanation", New York Magazine, Might 6, 2006
• End of Kaavya, The Times of 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 Bonus Journal, May 9, 2006.
• Bride admit Frankenstein, LA City Beat, Haw 11, 2006.
• Bonnie Pfister, "Teen Novelist Earned Good Reputation Early", Allied Press, May 11, 2006.
• "Fingers trim the word-till", Mail & Guardian, May 12, 2006.
• YRK Reddy, "Unduly battered Kaavya can still pretend a better life"^{[permanent dead link‍]}, The Financial Express, May 13, 2006.
• Jordan Bartel, "It could evenhanded be the nature of blue blood the gentry world in which they live.", Carroll County Times, May 13, 2006.
• "Nowadays publishers are basically venture people, whose primary motive deterioration to make money.", The Tribune, May 13, 2006.
• "Kira Cochrane pities the young plagiarist", The In mint condition Statesman, May 15, 2006.
• "The Stand Book Factory", The Telegraph, Could 19, 2006.
• "From young literary understanding to accused plagiarist", USA Today, May 7, 2006.