More than 20 years before I got up the courage to send an open letter to the New York Times accusing my former English teacher Blake Bailey of grooming his eighth grade students and then, years later, coercing us into sex or, in my case, just holding me down and doing it even while I cried “no” and “stop” repeatedly I sent a very different letter on his behalf.
I wrote his nomination for the Louisiana Humanities Teacher of the Year in 2000, an award he went on to win.
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I described how he gave me the language to discuss poetry and literature, how he insisted that his students all be not just well-read but also culturally literate, how he affirmed my love of writing and mentored me for years. I recalled how I’d dutifully read
Philip Roth Biography Pulled After Author Blake Bailey Accused of Grooming Minors for Sex
Frederick M. Brown/Getty
22 Apr 2021
NEW YORK (AP) The publisher of a new, bestselling biography about Philip Roth has temporarily halted the book’s shipping and promotion as its author, Blake Bailey, faces multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse.
“These allegations are serious. In light of them, we have decided to pause the shipping and promotion of ‘Philip Roth: The Biography’ pending any further information that may emerge,” according to a statement provided Wednesday to The Associated Press by W.W. Norton & Company.
Existing copies remain widely available, including on Amazon.com, where the 800-page book ranked No. 812 on the print bestseller list as of midday Wednesday.
Portsmouth author, biographer of Philip Roth, facing allegations of sexual abuse pilotonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pilotonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.