Team Dawn or Team Sonya?
If you love workplace drama + creative types + very online people, this one's for you. Everyone (online) is talking about this NYT piece, Who is the Bad Art Friend?
I am Team Sonya. I was slightly in her favor while reading this...people can write about anything they want. Dawn's jealousy was clear. She also donated a kidney and was mad when her friends didn't praise her on Facebook enough.
Over email, on July 21, 2015, Larson answered Dorland’s message with a chirpy reply — “How have you been, my dear?” Dorland replied with a rundown of her next writing residencies and workshops, and as casually as possible, asked: “I think you’re aware that I donated my kidney this summer. Right?”
Only then did Larson gush: “Ah, yes — I did see on Facebook that you donated your kidney. What a tremendous thing!”
Afterward, Dorland would wonder: If she really thought it was that great, why did she need reminding that it happened?
Now, new developments say that Dawn actually pitched the article to Robert Kolker, who didn't exactly make her look good. I'm also surprised that Dawn did not see the optics of her trying to take down an Asian-American author writing about her Asian-American experience. The verdict: Dawn is doing the most.
What is the moral of the story? The writing world, like everything, is not a meritocracy. Sometimes jealousy is a powerful drug. No one owns a real life experience. Should you use someone's very specific personal experience? People can write what they want to write about, but a general idea is not plagiarism. However, if you are taking someone's life for your experience, should you consult with them? Maybe.
Some other good reads from this week:
The press needs to stop covering admissions as a game
Montserrat's Audacious Tourism Experiment During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Why I felt betrayed by Netflix’s Midnight Mass
Counterweight and the Movement Against Wokeness (Helen Pluckrose is also doing the most).
The Muddy Ethics Of The Thai Cave Rescue Entertainment Machine