A purge of conservative book editors should worry anyone who cares about democracy
The sacking of a pro-Trump executive in the US threatens to have a chilling effect on the publishing industry
23 February 2021 • 6:00am
The pen is mightier than the sword. That phrase, coined by the author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in the 1830s and a powerful advocacy of the written language over direct violence, was once a source of comfort. Yet in the past 18 months, I have begun to feel that the strength of this statement brings with it a certain queasiness.
Words have always been weapons of course, yet while in the past they were used sparingly, they have now either become tools for a social media riot or in the case of much writing, undetonated hand grenades waiting to cause offence or anger.
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Kate Hartson was editorial director of Hachette’s conservative Center Street imprint until last month. Hartson was famous for publishing conservative authors most of her peers wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Hartson reportedly made good money for Hachette.
Her most recent book is Andy Ngo’s
Ngo’s book may well be the last book bought by Kate Hartson.
The New York Times reports on Hachette’s termination of Hartson and the Gray Lady’s take is fascinating and revealing. The official reasons for the firing, according to the report, were “mundane” but Hartson believes it was her politics. I’d say, based on the New York Times reporting alone, she’s correct.