Barbara Kingsolver Writes to Booksellers

Bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver this week issued an open letter to independent booksellers. She wrote in the wake of a November 5 op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal by Gregg Easterbrook, which had criticized the writer for an essay published in the San Francisco Chronicle on September 25.

Kingsolver noted that the Journal piece had "wrongly quoted me as saying I believe 'the American flag stands for intimidation, censorship, violence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and shoving the Constitution through a paper shredder.'" She explained in her letter to booksellers that the "partial sentence was taken from an essay … in which I declared that I DO NOT believe my flag stands for those things," and added that "my essay closes by citing the values I believe our flag should and does stand for: freedom, courage, generosity, and human kindness."

Kingsolver also noted in the letter that the Journal piece had suggested "that patriotic booksellers should remove my books from your shelves" and said that she had "received indirect word that some booksellers have done so." She added that she had "asked the Journal to publish a retraction, but inflammatory rumors spread much more rapidly than truth."

The author's letter concludes by noting that "my greatest concern here is to reassure you and your customers that I love my country and have been working hard on America's behalf, asking that we maintain our faith in precious American ideals of civil liberties and human rights." And she encouraged booksellers to "maintain the freedom and dignity of public debate" in a time when "we especially need the greatest diversity of published voices."

A copy of Kingsolver's letter to independent booksellers is provided below.

An Open Letter to Independent Booksellers of America
From Barbara Kingsolver

I've felt for many years that the independent booksellers of this country are people I count as friends. My heart is with you now as we all struggle together to cope with the new and difficult times that have come to us since September 11.

I would also like to reassure you, if you've had any doubts about this, that I would never betray your faith in me or the enormous power you've given to my words. Specifically, on November 5, an article in the Wall Street Journal wrongly quoted me as saying I believe "the American flag stands for intimidation, censorship, violence, bigotry, sexism, homophobia, and shoving the Constitution through a paper shredder." That partial sentence was taken from an essay published in the San Francisco Chronicle in which I declared that I DO NOT believe my flag stands for those things, and took issue with the handful of people who have used the guise of patriotism to justify hate crimes. My essay closes by citing the values I believe our flag should and does stand for: freedom, courage, generosity, and human kindness. The full text appears on my Web site (www.kingsolver.com).

After misquoting me, the Wall Street Journal article called for a national boycott on my books, specifically suggesting that patriotic booksellers should remove my books from your shelves. I know most of you are wiser than this, but I've actually received indirect word that some booksellers have done so. I have asked the journal to publish a retraction, but inflammatory rumors spread much more rapidly than the truth.

My greatest concern here is to reassure you and your customers that I love my country and have been working hard on America's behalf, asking that we maintain our faith in the precious American ideals of civil liberties and human rights. If I lose the ability to reach people with my words, other writers will surely suffer the same fate, at a time when we especially need the greatest diversity of published voices. I ask you to help maintain the dignity and freedom of public debate in these frightening times. I would be happy for you to contact my office if you have any information about this or other attempts to censor authors. I hope your season will be blessed with the wondrous union of kind customers and good books.

Truly yours,

Barbara Kingsolver