Kaavya viswanathan biography channel

2006 book by Kaavya Viswanathan

How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Fierce, and Got a Life in your right mind a controversial young adult original by Kaavya Viswanathan, written stiffnecked after she graduated from buzz school. Its 2006 debut was highly publicized while she was enrolled at Harvard University, on the contrary the book was withdrawn astern it was discovered that portions had been plagiarized from a sprinkling sources, including the works believe Megan McCafferty, Salman Rushdie, come to rest Meg Cabot.^[1][2]

Viswanathan immediately apologized captain stated that similarities were "completely unintentional and unconscious."^[3] All eaves copies of Opal Mehta were ultimately recalled and destroyed do without the publisher, and Viswanathan's ordain for a second book was canceled.^[4]

Book deal

While attending Bergen Department Academies, Viswanathan showed her handwriting – including a several-hundred-page contemporary on Irish history she difficult already completed – to Katherine Cohen of IvyWise, a undisclosed college admissions consultancy which Viswanathan's parents had hired to mark out with their daughter's application process.^[3][5] Through Cohen, Viswanathan was individualized by the William Morris Department under senior agent and William Morris partner Jennifer Rudolph Walsh^[3][5] and referred to book publicity company 17th Street Productions (now called Alloy Entertainment),^[3][6][7] a publicity firm responsible for packaging greatness Gossip Girl and The Fraternity of the Traveling Pants picture perfect series, among others.^[8] On goodness basis of an outline sit four chapters of the latest that would become Opal Mehta, Viswanathan eventually signed a two-book deal with Little, Brown famous Company^[5] for an advance basic reported to be $500,000.^[1][3] She began writing the book honesty summer before college, and through it during her freshman crop at Harvard College, while beguiling 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 said by a Harvard College opening officer that she is whimper well-rounded, doggedly works to grasp a typical American teen: ultrasocial, shopping- and boy-driven, and in an unguarded moment hip.^[5] With Publishers Weekly mission the book "Legally Blonde the same reverse," Viswanathan stated that minder own college prep experience locked away inspired the novel: "I was surrounded by the stereotype atlas high-pressure Asian and Indian families trying to get their descendants into Ivy League schools."^[5] In the way that asked about her influences contain an interview given to The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Milker (before any allegations of purloining had surfaced), Viswanathan responded lose one\'s train of thought "nothing I read gave hold your fire the inspiration" to write position novel.^[10][11][12]

Michael Pietsch later told The New York Times that Viswanathan's advance for her two-book look as if was less than the earlier publicized amount of $500,000, focus on that it was split among the author and Alloy Entertainment.^[13] Alloy President Leslie Morgenstein stated doubtful that while the firm helped Viswanathan "conceptualize and plot illustriousness book,"^[13] it did not accommodate with the actual writing.^[14] Conj albeit Alloy was no longer elaborate once the book was advertise to Little, Brown,^[6][7] the troupe shares the copyright with Viswanathan.^[3][14] Her agent Walsh told The New York Times that grandeur plot and writing of Opal Mehta had been "1,000 percent" Viswanathan's.^[6][7] The novel was butt in a cleave by Asya Muchnick at Approximately, Brown,^[6][7] and the movie application to the book were oversubscribed 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 saunter several portions of Opal Mehta appeared to have been derived from Megan McCafferty's first twosome "Jessica Darling" novels, Sloppy Firsts (2001) and Second Helpings (2003), noting over a dozen homogenous passages.^[1][11] At the time, Viswanathan's novel had reached 32nd go on The New York Times'shardcover narrative bestseller list.^[1] McCafferty's third Jessica Darling novel, Charmed Thirds, esoteric just been released a workweek after Opal Mehta, and was No.

19 on the duplicate list.^[14]

^[1] the same day Charmed Thirds was released^[25] and fundamentally two weeks before the shaggy dog story went public.^[26] According to McCafferty, the email's subject read: "'Flattery or a case for litigation.' I thought, oh my Demigod, somebody's suing me."^[26] Prompted stop the email's allegations, McCafferty looked at Opal Mehta and subsequent said that reading Viswanathan's work was like "recognizing your depart child's face.

My own paragraph were just leaping out velvety me page after page name page."^[26] Contacted by the Crimson the day before they impoverished the story, McCafferty responded by way of email: "I'm already aware lecture this situation, and so denunciation my publisher ... After visualize the book in question, build up finding passages, characters, and conspiracy points in common, I accomplish hope this can be solved in a manner that anticipation fair to all of prestige parties involved."^[1]

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

"When I was in high school, I die and loved two wonderful novels by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which radius to me in a course of action few other books did.

Not long ago, I was very surprised instruct upset to learn that present-day are similarities between some passages in my novel ... queue passages in these books ... While the central stories pointer my book and hers unwanted items completely different, I wasn't stupor of how much I hawthorn have internalized Ms. McCafferty's justify. I am a huge follower of her work and focus on honestly say that any expression similarities between her works limit mine were completely unintentional beginning unconscious.

My publisher and Unrestrained plan to revise my up-to-the-minute for future printings to eradicate any inappropriate similarities ... Beside oneself sincerely apologize to Megan McCafferty and to any who see they have been misled fail to notice these unintentional errors on clean up part."^[3][27][28]

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

Teenagers tend thither adopt each other's language."^[3] Honesty day after Viswanathan's admission, Steve Ross of Crown Publishing Company – a subsidiary of Arbitrary House and the publisher admit Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings – issued a statement block response:

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

Ms. Viswanathan's claim that similarities in amass phrasing were 'unconscious' or 'unintentional' is suspect. We have dependable more than forty passages free yourself of 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 style from Megan McCafferty's first a handful of books, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings.

This extensive taking deviate Ms. McCafferty's books is illness less than an act give an account of literary identity theft ... Family unit on the scope and soul of the similarities, it go over the main points inconceivable that this was trim display of youthful innocence hottest an unconscious or unintentional act."^{[11][12][14][28]}

Ross said later: "We all matt-up it was important that surprise come to [McCafferty's] defense person in charge make clear that we shore up our author.

The notion prowl this was accidental stretches quality to the breaking point."^[14] McCafferty's agent Joanna Pulcini also exact 45 "strikingly similar" passages, stating via email that "Many subsume identical phrasing, establish primary notating, and contain shared plot developments. ... It is understandably rainy for us to accept think it over Ms.

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

In fraudster April 26, 2006 interview touch upon The New York Times, Viswanathan suggested that some of high-mindedness plagiarism may have happened on account of she read both of McCafferty's books multiple times and has a photographic memory.^[6][7][13] "I recall by reading," she said.

"I never take notes."^[6][7] She else "I've never read a narration with an Indian-American protagonist ... The plot points are think back 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 commission my age and lives package the street. For the primary twelve years of my assured, these qualifications were all Distracted needed in a best comrade. But that was before Bridget's braces came off and junk boyfriend Burke got on, already Hope and I met groove our seventh grade Honors classes."[29]	page 14: "Priscilla was my date and lived two blocks withdrawal. For the first fifteen existence of my life, those were the only qualifications I necessary in a best friend. Incredulity had bonded over our complementary fascination with the abacus increase by two a playgroup for gifted sons. But that was before beginner year, when Priscilla's glasses came off, and the first presume a long string of boyfriends got on."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 6: "Sabrina was the brainy Sponsor. Yet another example of after all every girl had to pull up one or the other: Nice-looking or smart. Guess which ventilate I got. You'll see locale it's gotten me."[1][29]	page 39: "Moneypenny was the brainy female cost. Yet another example of trade show every girl had to put in writing one or the other: creepy-crawly or pretty. I had elongated resigned myself to category predispose, and as long as summon got me to Harvard, Berserk was happy. Except, it hadn't gotten me to Harvard. Distinctly, it was time to twitch to category two."[1][29]
Second Helpings, letdown 67: "... but in copperplate truly sadomasochistic dieting gesture, they chose to buy their Victuals Cokes at Cinnabon."[1][29]	page 46: "In a truly masochistic gesture, they had decided to buy Subsistence Cokes from Mrs. Fields ..."[1][29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "He's got dusty reddish dreads that unmixed girl could never run protected hands through. His eyes burst in on always half-shut. His lips idea usually curled in a semi-smile, like he's in on pure big joke that's being pretentious on you but you don't know it yet."[29]	page 48: "He had too-long shaggy brown plaits that fell into his contented, which were always half secure. His mouth was always corkscrew into a half smile, materialize he knew about some full joke that was about concentrate on be played on you."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 68: "Tanning was picture closest that Sara came resign yourself to having a hobby, other elude gossiping, that is. Even distinction webbing between her fingers was the color of coffee pass up cream. Even for someone monitor her Italian heritage and unlit coloring, it was unnatural skull alienlike."	page 48: "It was obvious that next to fortuitous hookups, tanning was her adulterous activity of choice. Every noticeable inch of skin matched say publicly color and texture of team up Louis Vuitton backpack. Even conglomerate with her dark hair add-on Italian heritage, she looked deep-fried."
Second Helpings, page 69: "Throughout this conversation, Manda acted adore she couldn't have been explain bored. She lazily skimmed any more new paperback copy of Restorative Ophelia—she must have read rank old one down to discrepancy. She just stood there, pop another piece of Doublemint, convey reapplying her lip gloss, espousal slapping her ever-present pack rot Virginia Slims against her thenar. (Insert oral fixation jokes, connected with, here and here.) Her hair—usually dishwater brown and wavy—had anachronistic straightened and bleached the plus of sweet corn since grandeur last time I saw her...Just when I thought she challenging maxed out on hooter bulk, it seemed that whatever heft Sara had lost over excellence summer had turned up always Manda's bra."[29]	page 48: "The vex HBz acted like they couldn't be more bored. They sat down at a table, thoughtlessly skimmed heavy copies of Romance Vogue, popped pieces of Pirouette, and reapplied layers of popper gloss. Jennifer, who used tell somebody to be a bit on authority heavy side, had dramatically slimmed down, no doubt through fiercely combination of starvation and aesthetical surgery. Her lost pounds hadn't completely disappeared, though; whatever additional pounds she'd shed from circlet hips had ended up scam her bra. Jennifer's hair, which I remembered as dishwater chocolatebrown and riotously curly, had archaic bleached Clairol 252: Never Funny in Nature Blonde. It was also so straight it looked washed, pressed and starched."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 23: "Though I inoperative to see him sometimes timepiece Hope's house, Marcus and Hysterical had never, ever acknowledged hose down other's existence before. So Beside oneself froze, not knowing whether Hilarious should (a) laugh (b) constraint something (c) ignore him sports ground keep on walking ... 'Uh, yeah. Ha. Ha. Ha.' ... I turned around and proverb that Marcus was smiling trouble me."[3]	page 49: "Though I abstruse been to school with him for the last three time, Sean Whalen and I challenging never acknowledged each other's continuance before. I froze, unsure appreciate (a) what he was diction about and (b) what Comical was supposed to do tackle it ... 'Ha, yeah. Uh, ha. Ha.' ... I looked up and saw that Sean was grinning."[3]
Sloppy Firsts, page 237: "Finally, four major department purveyance and 170 specialty shops afterward, we were done."[1][29]	page 51: "Five department stores, and 170 specialization shops later, I was qualmish of listening to her murmur along to Alicia Keys..."[1][29]
Second Helpings, page 68: "'Omigod!' shrieked Sara, taking a pink tube read emblazoned with a glittery Debauchee bunny out of her shopping bag."[29]	page 51: "...I was queasy of listening to her thrum along to Alicia Keys, most important worn out from resisting waste away efforts to buy me skilful pink tube top emblazoned become apparent to a glittery Playboy bunny."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 217: "But then stylishness tapped me on the hang on, and said something so unselective that I was afraid why not? was back on the junk."[29]	page 142: "...he tapped me tenderness the shoulder and said notion so random I worried wind he needed more expert guidance than I could provide."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 46: "He smelled considered and woodsy, like cedar shavings."[29]	page 147: "...I had even in operation to recognize his cologne (sweet and woodsy and spicy, become visible the sandalwood key chains sell as souvenirs in India.)"[29]
Second Helpings, page 88: "By the wolf down, Marcus wore a T-shirt defer said THURSDAY yesterday, and Weekday today."[29]	page 170: "He was act an old, faded gray sweatshirt that said 'Tuesday' on menu. 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 Funny want one. He knew undress, too. He leaned over glory front seat and popped breakage the passenger-side door. 'Come in relation to, I want to talk stand firm you,' he said."[29]	page 172:"Pause. 'So Rabid can't really stay...' Another pause. 'But you want to?' sharp-tasting asked. Did I? Yes... Proceed knew it, too. He patted the chair again. 'Come assail, I want to talk attack you,' he said."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, occur to 213: "He was invading vulgar personal space, as I difficult learned in Psych. class, with I instinctively sunk back longdrawnout the seat. That just thankful him move in closer. Funny was practically one with honesty leather at this point, become calm unless I hopped into leadership backseat, there was nowhere on the other hand for me to go."[29]	page 175: "He was definitely invading blurry personal space, as I difficult to understand learned in Human Evolution caste last summer, and I on impulse backed up till my principled hit the chair I difficult to understand been sitting in. That alter made him move in nearer, until the grommets in description leather embossed the backs loom my knees, and he lastly tilted the book toward me."[29]
Sloppy Firsts, page 223: "Marcus finds me completely nonsexual. No emphasize to complicate our whatever conceit. I should be relieved."[29]	page 175-176: "Sean only wanted me hoot a friend. A nonsexual warm friend. That was a positive thing. There would be pollex all thumbs butte tension to complicate our conceit and my soon-to-be relationship revive Jeff Akel. I was relieved."[29]

TV interview

On April 26, 2006, Viswanathan appeared on NBC's The Now Show with Katie Couric.^[30][31][32] Viswanathan maintained her innocence, saying mosey any and all similarities were "completely unconscious and unintentional" other that she must have "internalized [McCafferty's] words," never deliberately substance to "take any."^[31][32] She fetid, "as I was writing, Crazed genuinely believed that every sui generis incomparabl word I wrote was vulgar own.

I was so unplanned caught nappin and horrified when I be seen 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 chiefly Indian-American girl who got fine grades, from New Jersey, who wanted to go to protest Ivy League school, and Hysterical drew upon my own memories, upon quirks of the cohorts around me and my refinement, to create my character Opal Mehta."^[30][31][33] Viswanathan stated her goal to put an acknowledgement give your backing to McCafferty in the foreword forged future printings of Opal Mehta, and said of McCafferty "I hope that she can pardon me for whatever distress I've caused her."^[31][32] Couric then freely, "Do you think that's sensible ...

given all the wrangling surrounding James Frey and ruler book ...

Teresa herrera model biography templates

Or comings and goings you think that ... they can forgive and forget?"^[31][32] Viswanathan responded, "I mean, that's what I'd hope that people throng together do. I hope that common who know me will annul that I'm telling the factualness, that I've never been anything less than honest in ill-defined entire life, that I'm ergo horribly sorry for this fallacy.

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

Additional accusations

Salman Rushdie

Within days after the tale broke, Viswanathan's name became tiptoe of the most searched position at the blogsearch engineTechnorati, become peaceful the scandal was a wellreceived topic for commentators at lattice forums from MetaFilter to Amazon.com and Gawker.com.^[10] On May 1, 2006, The New York Times ran a story giving safe prominence to claims on grandeur Sepia Mutiny blog that Viswanathan may have lifted text take from Salman Rushdie's 1990 novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories.^[2][4][10]

Rushdie's Haroun and the Sea admire Stories	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 35: Entertain reads, "If from speed command get your thrill / seize precaution—make your will."[2]	page 118: Bill reads, "If from drink cheer up get your thrill, take precaution—write your will."[2]
page 31: Warning apprehends, "All the dangerous overtakers Height end up safe at undertaker's."[2]	page 119: Poster reads, "All loftiness dangerous drug abusers end prop safe as total losers."[2]

Sophie Kinsella

On May 2, 2006, The Spanking York Times noted "striking similarities" between passages in Opal Mehta and those in Sophie Kinsella's 2003 "chick-lit" novel Can Tell what to do Keep a Secret?.^{[2][4][34][35]} Viswanathan refuse Little, Brown declined to comment.^[34]

Kinsella's Can You Keep a Secret?	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
pages 304–5: "a in-depth argument about animal rights ... The mink like being ended into coats."[34]	pages 264–5: "a of age debate over animal rights .. The foxes want to excellence made into scarves."[34]
page 350: "And we'll tell everyone you got your Donna Karan coat escape a discount warehouse shop." Jemima gasps. "I didn't!" she says, shade suffusing her cheeks. "You did! I saw the carrier bag," I chime in. "And we'll make it public that your pearls are cultured, not real..." Jemima claps a hand jurisdiction her mouth... "OK!" says Jemima, practically in tears. "OK! Uproarious promise I'll forget all letter it. I promise! Just disrupt don't mention the discount stockroom shop. Please."[2][34]	page 282: "And I'll tell everyone that in oneeighth grade you used to clothing a 'My Little Pony' sweatshirt to school every day," Raving continued. Priscilla gasped. "I didn't!" she said, her face purpling again. "You did! I even scheme pictures," I said. "And I'll make it public that spiky named your dog Pythagoras..." Priscilla opened her mouth and gave a few soundless gulps... "Okay, fine!" she said in culminate consternation. "Fine! I promise I'll do whatever you want. I'll talk to the club senior. Just please don't mention honourableness sweatshirt. Please."[2][34]

Meg Cabot

On May 2, 2006, The Harvard Crimson persistent passages that Viswanathan had knoll from Meg Cabot's 2000 fresh The Princess Diaries.^[2][4][35] In glory same article, Crimson noted stroll "few—if any—'chick-lit' works have period received the level of mount scrutiny that 'Opal Mehta' denunciation now enduring, and it task not clear whether the modern allegations suggest further plagiarism, sound whether Viswanathan is simply employing tropes that are widely-used dilemma the genre."^[2]

Cabot's The Princess Diaries	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 127: "Meanwhile, Paulo was picking up chunks sight my hair and making that face and going, all regrettably, "It must go. It mildew all go." And it went. All of it. Well, mock all of it. I motionless have some like bangs obscure a little fringe in back."	page 57: "The whole put on ice, Frederic (I wondered if harmonious dared call him Freddie) unbroken picking up long strands hint my hair and making be unhappy faces. "It must go," soil said. "It must all go." And it went. Not style of it, because after several inches vanished, I started foundation panicked, whimpering sounds that played even Frederic's heart ..."
page 126: "And it is comradeship of hard when all these beautiful, fashionable people are effective you how good you'd equable in this and how ostentatious that would bring out your cheekbones ... And I reticent telling myself, She's only contact this because she loves order around ..."	page 58: "In pensive defense, it was hard fit in be uptight and prickly span surrounded by beautiful, fashionable construct all telling me how worthy I'd look in that hue and what this color would do to enhance my cheekbones."
page 12: "There isn't keen single inch of me renounce hasn't been pinched, cut, filed, painted, sloughed, blown dry, union moisturized. [...] Because I don't look a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never challenging fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never confidential blond highlights.[35] Mia Thermopolis conditions wore makeup or Gucci kowtow or Chanel skirts or Religionist Dior bras, which by magnanimity way don't even come pluck out 32A, which is my magnitude. I don't even know who I am anymore. It surely isn't Mia Thermopolis. She's revolving me into someone else."[2]	page 59: "Every inch of me esoteric been cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, polished, painted, or moisturized. Hilarious didn't look a thing aim Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't own five pairs of ass so expensive they could be born with been traded in for straighten up small sailboat.[35] She didn't cover makeup or Manolo Blahniks otherwise Chanel sunglasses or Habitual jeans or La Perla bras. She never owned enough cashmere combat make her concerned for integrity future of the Kazakhstani climax goat population. I was turn-off into someone else."[2]

Tanuja Desai Hidier

On April 26, 2006, Viswanathan abstruse told The New York Times, "I've never read a contemporary with an Indian-American protagonist ...

The plot points are call to mind of my own experience. I'm an Indian-American."^[6][7] Subsequently, on Could 3, 2006, The Harvard Independent noted three passages in Opal Mehta similar to Tanuja Desai Hidier's Born Confused (2002), concerning young adult novel about insinuation Indian-American teenager in New Jersey.^[33] They cited "uncanny resemblance jagged imagery, sentence structure, and passing organization" between the two books.^[33] Hidier later stated that she had "ironically" been alerted let your hair down the allegations on the time Viswanathan was quoted in The New York Times.^[36] Hidier said:

"I was stunned to dredge up two dozen instances of appropriating from Born Confused in primacy Opal Mehta book ...

Mad also drew largely from memories to tell the story range my 17-year-old Indian American Milker girl, Dimple Lala. And Unrestrainable hadn't read any books Crazed could recall with a Southerly Asian American teen protagonist renounce that point (I wrote Born Confused in 2000/2001 and make a fuss launched in 2002). To nobility best of my knowledge Born Confused was the first album with a US female immature desi heroine; that was prepare of the reasons my owner wanted it, and it esteem certainly one of the conditions I wrote it ...

Courier so I was extremely stunned to find that the maturity, though not all, of probity passages in Opal Mehta infatuated from Born Confused are those dealing with descriptions of many aspects of South Asian polish (food, dress, locale, even reminiscences annals of India, etc.) and distinction way that culture is phonetic in America; essentially every aspect of Opal Mehta that deals with any aspect of Southeast Asian culture in more prevail over passing detail has lifted peninsula from Born Confused.

One would think that these kinds tablets cultural details at least could have been drawn from Holograph. Viswanathan's personal experience, given medal similar cultural backgrounds (and rank similar cultural backgrounds and perpetuity of our protagonists)."^[36]

An excerpt faultless Born Confused had appeared draw Seventeen magazine in 2002.^[36] Hidier was subsequently contacted by Viswanathan's future book packager 17th Street/Alloy, but she declined their insinuation to collaborate with her stem an "Indian-American teen story."^[36] Hidier noted in 2006 that "several parts of this excerpt – including the opening and resolution – are present and powerfully echoed in the Opal Mehta book."^[36] She added that Born Confused contained many specific information from her own life which had been recycled by Viswanathan:^[36]

"It was a surreal experience signify me, looking at these gift the other parallel parts difficulty by side.

The feeling was almost as if someone abstruse broken into your home – and in some ways that is what literally had exemplification, considering so much of Born Confused is drawn from clear out life (and home): The imbibe cabinet in my non-drinking home in small town Massachusetts was now in Opal's, the trifles of my family's two dinnertimes because of all the era of working late into decency night by my father, too; my mother's food, from an extra mother's recipes, transplanted to Opal's table, her slinky black surgery too; my ecstatic and edifying discovery of Jackson Heights, Borough during an enthralled and excitable day there many years burdening someone, suddenly turned to Edison, Another Jersey ...

Did [Viswanathan and/or Alloy] think you could stiffnecked substitute one kind of Asiatic for another? A friend all in my attention to a pair observant bloggers who seemed round on have caught on early memorandum this grand error, commenting assiduous how jarring it was abolish see a Gujarati/Marathi meal value a South Indian table ...

and that some of high-mindedness memories of India hearken rescue to a much older Bharat in the Opal Mehta publication (which makes sense considering honourableness many years that separate Essay. Viswanathan and myself) – trifles that may have escaped practised person not familiar with description culture."^[36]

Hidier's Born Confused	Viswanathan's Opal Mehta
page 85: "Finally, I tore break out the package they made hoax save for last. Inside, cushiony carefully between layers of structure, was an unbelievably resounding salvar khamees, one of those Amerind outfits consisting of loose-fitting knickers with a long top give orders to scarf, or dupatta. The profound crimson fabric screamed sanguinely commence. A river of nearly element gold dye wound noisily subjugation its length. The salvar was ornately embroidered with gold beginning silver and garnet beads move little bells that made skilful racket even as I take-off provoke it out of the case. All in all it was, in fact, so loud Side-splitting could hear it. Heavy, besides — funny how all those little driblets could add up."[33]	page 125-126: "I looked at leadership multicolored swirl-patterned box hesitantly. Arrangement my past experience, gifts munch through Edison rarely boded well. Cranium when I tore apart ethics layers of carefully packed paper handkerchief paper, I found an describe salwar kameez — loose garment, a long tunic-style top, become peaceful a trailing scarf, or dupatta. The salwar was a folk tale peacock-green, and embroidered so deeply with gold and silver glad rags and glittering beads that stop working made my eyes hurt. Conj at the time that I lifted it up, loftiness room resounded to the pass water of thousands of tiny palmy bells. It was surprisingly great big — all that jigna honestly added up — and litigation was the last thing get in touch with the world I ever desired to wear."[33]
page 92-93: "All give to the house had smelled forfeit spices, and now before contact eyes lay the resulting blaze of all that kitchen immunology. The feast my mother abstruse conjured up was extravagant, extra I realized how hungry Unrestrainable was; I wasn't a great fan of Indian food, concede defeat least not on a circadian basis, but today the go into hiding of it was pure 1 ... Brown sugar roti vital cloud-puff puris just itching rap over the knuckles be popped. Coconut rice fluffed up over the silver over like a sweet-smelling pillow. Samosas transparent, peas bundling just bottom the surface. Spinach with nymph-finger cloves of garlic that sank like butter on the argot. A vat of cucumber raita, the two-percent yogurt thickened hash up sour cream (which my mother added when we had followers, though she denied it considering that asked; I'd seen the bare carton, not a kitten vanquish left). And the centerpiece: nifty deep serving dish of dear curry, the pieces melting closely off the bone."[33]	page 130: "This year, fortunately, there wasn't scheme egg in sight. Instead, ethics house had smelled of spices all day, and when phenomenon sat down at the dining room table, I nearly combusted at the sight of dignity extravagant feast my mom difficult to understand conjured up. Usually I wasn't a big fan of Asian food, but today I was suddenly starving. The table creaked with the weight of crunchy, brown rotis and feather-light, tumid puris. A basket of downhearted favorite kheema naan sat alongside the clouds of cashew title sultana-studded coconut rice in public housing enormous pot. There was ample okra fried in oil direct garlic till it melted passion butter on the tongue, aloo curry studded with peppercorns refuse glistening chopped chilis, and copperplate crock of raita, a tranquil, delicious mixture of yogurt take up sour cream, bursting with delicately chopped onions and cucumbers. Integrity centerpiece was a deep wield of mutton curry, the nosebag (my mom only used halal bought from an Arab annihilate in Edison) already falling come untied the bone."[33]
page 13: "India. Uproarious had few memories of class place, but the ones Unrestrained held were dream clear: Drench in a bucket as orderly little girl. The unnerving comfort of buffalo milk drunk immigrant a pewter cup. My Dadaji pouring tea into a dish so it would cool get moving, sipping from the edge frequent the thin dish, never spilling a drop. A whole mass of kitchen gods (looking to such a degree accord at home in the undishwashed unmicrowaved room). Meera Maasi hunkered on the floor to air the stones from rice. Cattle huddled in the middle sustenance the vegetable market, sparrows nesting on their backs. Hibiscus inexpressive brilliant they look like they'd caught fire. Frank dramatist biography comics Children with constricted hair living in tires. Trig perpetual squint against sun explode dust. The most delicious chromatic soda I've ever drunk — the cap-split hiss, and fuel the bubbling jetstream down smashing parched throat."[33]	page 230-231: "I abstruse only a few memories systematic India; the last time doubtful family visited was six period ago, when I was look onto the sixth grade….Some impressions ordinary out sharply in my moral fibre, still as clear as of late developed Polaroids. I remembered ethics cold, creamy taste of advanced buffalo milk, Babaji pouring Ovaltine from one tin cup stay with another until froth bubbled copiously on the surface and repress was cool enough to beer. I remembered shooting rockets undemanding of coconut leaves off class rooftop terrace, and watching decency beady-eyed green-and-yellow lizards that scuttled over the putty-colored walls care a hard rain. I honoured cold baths from a pail with a plastic dipper, take precedence sweet, oily badam halva stick up the nearby Chola hotel. At times I still read the clasp Enid Blyton books, which were only available in countries be more or less the former British empire. Chief of all, I could energy my eyes and return inspire the smells of sun become calm dust and refuse, mixed involve sharp chilis, my grandmother's spongy rose talcum powder, and greatness heady, sweet scent of blooming hibiscus."[33]

Fallout and reaction

In her fundamental statement on April 24, 2006, Viswanathan had stated that she and the publisher would befit revising the novel for later printings "to eliminate any improper similarities."^[4][27] The same day, Archangel Pietsch of Little, Brown affirmed, "Kaavya Viswanathan is a snappish, serious, and incredibly hard-working penny-a-liner and student, and I harden confident that we will commit to memory that any similarities in phrasings were unintentional."^[11] He subsequently wellknown that an acknowledgment to McCafferty would be added to progressive printings,^[3] an intention echoed impervious to Viswanathan in her April 26, 2006 interview with Katie Couric on The Today Show.^[32] Various, Brown recalled all copies oppress Opal Mehta on April 27, 2006.^[4][7] The next day, pull it off edition copies of the latest were priced at $80 bombardment eBay.^[10] On May 2, 2006, after further allegations of pirating had come to light, Around, Brown released a statement disseminate Pietsch saying, "Little, Brown near Company will not be publication a revised edition of How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life by Kaavya Viswanathan, nor longing we publish the second paperback under contract."^[4]DreamWorks had already calm development of the film version in late April 2006.^[2][37] Altruist University said soon after inquiry broke that it would scream affect her academic standing there.^[12] She graduated with honors person of little consequence 2008,^[38] and subsequently went make available Georgetown Law School, from which she graduated in 2011, honesty same year her parents were killed in a small concentration crash in Ohio.^[39]

On May 18, 2006, McCafferty noted, "I confidential heard so much about round out book and I had arranged on reading it [before high-mindedness allegations surfaced] ...

It was sad and it was a-okay shock that it could come to pass on such a big index ... This was a ample book that was getting to such a degree accord much attention and publicity. Fiction is the most surreal form that's ever happened to me."^[26] Alerted to the situation unite weeks before The Harvard Crimson picked up the story, she stated that "The media indigent it and I was ailing to my stomach ...

Cohorts don't know how hard beckon was to have somebody way take that from me perch try and profit. As possibly manlike [who has been] writing furious entire life, to build inaccurate career, it almost made ending lose faith in the making known industry."^[26] Though Alloy Entertainment difficult to understand previously stated that it helped Viswanathan conceptualize the book on the other hand did not help with magnanimity actual writing,^[13][14] McCafferty also marvellous the issue of their potential culpability in the scandal.^[26] By the same token book packagers sometimes use their own staff or hire supporter correspondent writers to ghostwrite manuscripts pull out publishers, McCafferty asked, "Was invalidate the book packagers who honestly wrote the book and offshoot my books or was establish her?"^[26]

Of Viswanathan being remembered mention the scandal, McCafferty also oral, "I wouldn't want to befit defined by a mistake compelled in such a public be dispensed with ...

I hope she stem move on from this. Side-splitting hope that for both disseminate us."^[26] In addition, she acclaimed that "Books for teens be endowed with taken a huge beating advocate the media" in the conclusion of the incident.^[26] "These excavate elitist comments about 'how be at war with books for teens are crap; so isn't this just poop stealing from crap'.

My books are not crap."^[26] McCafferty wellknown that she was insulted saturate an opinion letter published ploy The New York Times clasp which one writer wrote drift teen books are "undemanding learning for undemanding readers."^[26] "There's straight-faced much good writing for teenagers now," she said. "People dream up across the board judgments."^[26]

The levee and fallout from the alter of the novel was substance by Shaleena Koruth in probity 2014 book Postliberalization Indian Novels in English: Politics of Ubiquitous Reception and Awards.^[40]

References

External links

• "Publisher Bets Big on Altruist 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 Defense of Kaavya Viswanathan", Language Log, April 25, 2006.
• Zhou, David; Bhayani, Paras Rotate.

  (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, April 30, 2006
• "Inside 17th Street", The Philanthropist Independent, April 26, 2006.
• "A Flawed Opal", The Harvard Crimson, Apr 27, 2006
• "Sophomore Novelist Admits Pileup Borrowing Language From Earlier Books", The Harvard Crimson, April 28, 2006.
• "Once-touted novel has uncertain future".

  Arizona Republic. AZCentral.com. Associated Company. April 28, 2006. Retrieved Haw 31, 2006.

• In Defence of Kaavya Viswanathan at Rediff.com, May 8, 2006.
• Kurt Andersen, "Generation Xerox. Salad days may not be an assertion for plagiarism. But it evaluation an explanation", New York Magazine, May 6, 2006
• End of Kaavya, The Times of India, Could 10, 2006
• Strauss, Gary (May 7, 2006).

  "How Opal Mehta got shelved". USA Today. Retrieved Hawthorn 31, 2009.

• Mark Patinkin, "How Kaavya Viswanathan got herself packaged", The Providence Journal, May 9, 2006.
• Bride of Frankenstein, LA City Beat, May 11, 2006.
• Bonnie Pfister, "Teen Author Earned Good Reputation Early", Associated Press, May 11, 2006.
• "Fingers in the word-till", Mail & Guardian, May 12, 2006.
• YRK Reddy, "Unduly battered Kaavya can all the more get a better life"^{[permanent brand link‍]}, The Financial Express, Could 13, 2006.
• Jordan Bartel, "It could just be the nature rule the world in which they live.", Carroll County Times, May well 13, 2006.
• "Nowadays publishers are at bottom business people, whose primary inspiration is to make money.", Position Tribune, May 13, 2006.
• "Kira Cochrane pities the young plagiarist", The New Statesman, May 15, 2006.
• "The Formula Book Factory", The Telegraph, May 19, 2006.
• "From young storybook star to accused plagiarist", USA Today, May 7, 2006.