So Who is Millenia Black?
Written byPosted on October 24, 2006
Filed Under Uncategorized
Millenia Black recently challenged her critics with this assertion:
For those who are of a practical mindset, and to demystify my previous post, yes, a complaint was indeed filed against the publisher the first week of this month (October), in the Southern District Court of New York. Such documents are public record and are readily accessible via a simple trip to the clerk’s office.
Calling Black’s bluff, I checked the Southern District of New York Court docket. There is no “Millenia Black” lawsuit, per se. There is, however, a lawsuit filed against Penguin Group (USA) Inc. and Signet (Black’s publisher) by one Nadine Aldred, residing in Orlando, Florida. The suit was filed on October 2, 2006, within the time frame suggested by Ms. Black. It is a civil rights case: Case No. 1:06-CV-07887 to be exact, assigned to Judge Paul A. Crotty. (And if anyone wants to drop by the Southern District of New York Court (Foley Square) and pick up copies of the complaint, you can tell the clerk that the case file is available in Volume CS1.)
Is Millenia Black the nom de plume of Nadine Aldred? Well, you make the call. I should note that this is the only case filed against Penguin Group (USA) in the month of October. Further, Ms. Black’s profile indicates that she is from Florida, which matches the location of Ms. Aldred.
Interestingly enough, Ms. Aldred has not retained an attorney for this. She’s filed the lawsuit pro se, which is a fancy Latin adjective that essentially indicates that Ms. Aldred is representing herself. (And why?)
When the complaint becomes available per the Southern District of New York Court’s ECF requirements, I will investigate further.
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Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan. The famed writers behind Smart Bitches, Trashy Books have written a very funny and thoughtful volume about romances, both Old Skool and New Skool. Here is a book that any smug and humorless literary manboy beating his flabby passive chest over Banville or Bolano should probably read pronto, if only for the distant possibility that he might get over himself. While the Choose Your Own Adventure segment at the end caused me to have a very disturbing dream involving Shelley Long (don't ask), Sarah and Candy did have me rethinking many of my own misperceptions when I wasn't busy laughing. They're not afraid to take on the New York Times Bok Review or even the groupthink within certain sectors of the romance community.
Alice Fantastic by Maggie Estep. This wild and highly enjoyable narrative involves two sisters (presumably, the third one was still being rented out by Chekhov), a hippie ex-junkie mother who lives with seventeen dogs, a murder, gambling, and libidinous Hollywood actresses who live in Woodstock. But this is the wonderful Maggie Estep we're talking here. And what seems at first like a quirky yarn becomes something unexpectedly moving about connectivity. What I love about Estep's work is the way that she'll juxtapose an extremely astute observation (now that you mention it, why do cab drivers always have somebody to talk with on the phone past midnight?) with an often outrageous story development.
Generosity by Richard Powers. It doesn't come out until September 29th, but Richard Powers's latest will have anyone committed to books reconsidering their literary fervor. I foresee some animosity from the vanilla critics hostile to idea-driven novels, but book bloggers, YouTube chroniclers, and MFAs would do well to plunge into this chance-taking narrative, which introduces vital questions about what the reader's relationship is with media, scientific dissection, and "creative nonfiction." Are we rats fleeing to happy cities? Or can we find the humanism within the purported plague?
Pieces for the Left Hand by J. Robert Lennon. Lennon is one of the most underrated fiction writers working today. Much as On the Night Plain proved that Lennon had a lot more in the toolbox than heartfelt (and often very funny) suburban satire, this slim but fascinating volume juxtaposes 100 small-town anecdotes -- arranged by category -- in a manner that reads, at times, like Nicholson Baker's passions for minutiae and, at other times, Stewart O'Nan's concern for psychological detail. The result is fiction that makes us wonder about whether one person's subjective view of particulars can entirely be trusted. This book never found a publisher in 2005. But thankfully, Graywolf has released it in the United States, along with Lennon's latest novel, The Castle.
Wonderful World by Javier Calvo. This wonderfully raucous volume has been completely ignored by the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. But it's probably one of the most delightful reading experiences I've had this year. Calvo cavalierly mashes up multiple genres and manages to mix up familial subtext with larger-than-life, almost cartoonish characters. (Indeed, one might argue that one mobster's penis is a character of its own in this sprawling novel.). This is not an easy thing to pull off, but Calvo makes it work. And it's helped immeasurably by Mara Faye Lethem's idiom-specific translation. (See longer post.)
The Means of Reproduction, Michelle Goldberg This thoughtful book tackles the complicated (and little discussed) subject of reproductive rights from numerous angles, which includes a number of unpleasant but necessary ones. The upshot is that there isn't a quick fix solution for declining birth rates and fundamentalist abuses. Just about every political faction has contributed to the friction. But you'll want to read this book anyway to refamiliarize yourself with the topic, but also to understand just what's occurred during the past several decades to get us where we are today. (See also podcast interview with Goldberg.)
I’m a little fuzzy here. What’s your point? First you doubt she filed a case, coming thisclose to calling her a liar, then you say you’re giving your ‘last word’ on the entire subject, and now you’re back to ‘investigating.’ Only this time you’re wondering why she’s gone solo in a lawsuit you all but called “phony’ to begin with?
Do you have an ax to grind with her or something? I mean, I don’t know MB personally, but I’m sure she’s under a lot of pressure. So I guess I’m wondering why you’re adding to it with these senseless (albeit rather bizarre and confounding) series of posts. Did she do something to upset you? Is this what’s driving your … um … investigation? And why an investigation? Is MB doing something illegal? Has she offended you personally?
I mean no disrespect, but I just think you should treat people the way you want to be treated. Frankly, this thing you’re doing seems very mean. Why can’t you just leave her alone, and save your commentary for afterwards, when the case is heard and decided? All this speculation is really a waste of time. And to be quite frank, it makes you look like you’ve got some sort of vendetta against her.
Still waiting for my comment to be published Mr. Champion. Was there anything offensive in it?
“Why can’t you just leave her alone, and save your commentary for afterwards, when the case is heard and decided? All this speculation is really a waste of time. And to be quite frank, it makes you look like you’ve got some sort of vendetta against her.”
Not that I don’t sympathise with you a bit here, but its kind of funny given that the other day he was called a racist by Monica Jackson for deciding NOT to keep talking about it…
guess he is in a damned if he does damned if he doesn’t corner now…
My behind-the-scenes stat counter indicates that over the past seven days, excluding today, I had a “visitor” from Orlando check out my posting about Millenia Black’s lawsuit 63 times while the controversy was raging.
Sixty visits from Calverton.
Fifty-four from Wichita.
So what’s the substance of your comments Lynne and what reader are you so eager to inform?
Dear Bort,
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with talking about it. I talked about it myself by posting on this blog.
It’s —how— it’s talked about that I take issue with. Mindless speculation, vitriolic accusation, and character assassination do more damage to the offender than the offended.
What disturbs me most is that more time has been spent attempting to discredit Miss Black’s character than speaking about the issue in question. Why the immediate jump to attack her? That’s what I don’t understand.
I’m more concerned that a publisher may have tried to bully a fellow author into changing her characters merely because their skin color didn’t match hers. It’s so patently absurd that I can barely contain my disgust.
Where’s the outrage? Where’s the solidarity? Where’s the productive discussion? Where’s the sympathy? We’re writer’s damn it, and we should stick together! Instead we have lovely blogposts like Mr. Champion’s filled with inuendo and subtle accusation. And what’s the end result? One of the brethren (a fellow writer) is ripped to shreds. If we’re not for each other, who will be? Certainly not the publishers.
For those who can’t see past Miss Black, think about the implications. What separates this from the madness that went on in the 50’s and 60’s? Nothing.
A fellow author needs our support. That’s —all— I see.
No, there’s nothing wrong with talking about Millenia Black’s predicament. But the devil is in the details.
Lynne W. Scanlon wrote — “My behind-the-scenes stat counter indicates that over the past seven days, excluding today, I had a “visitor” from Orlando check out my posting about Millenia Black’s lawsuit 63 times while the controversy was raging. Sixty visits from Calverton. Fifty-four from Wichita.”
And this has –what– to do with the issue at hand?
Oh, I wish they’d just be upfront about why they’re shirking the real issue. Isn’t Lynne Scanlon awfully determined to disembowel this writer? Considering everyone now knows there’s no conversational integrity over at the Publishing Contrarian (what with the deletion of several comments and opinions that weaken or disprove L. Scanlon’s arguments, not to mention the question of bizarre ulterior motives regarding the trashing of Millennia Black), there’s very little reason to believe anything she’s projecting as fact.
I have just read all the comments on Lynne Scanlon’s blog, and there are a lot of them. I’d say a good many of them are arguments against her position, some of them pretty rude ones. I made a comment that Lynne did not agree with but that was posted in full — and what’s more she put my picture next to my comment.
Jessie L — I presume your “Orlando” question is sarcasm? Isn’t it clear that Lynne means that this person from Orlando who filed the suit has probably also visited her posting and the comments on this topic?
Mr Champion — I think this post and your post of yesterday are cogent and logically self-consistent.
Best wishes
Maxine.
Maxine,
What does it matter that the person from Orlando is visiting her blog? If it is the author in question, so what? If my reputation were on the line merely because I had the temerity to demand justice from a system that I believed was being unfair to me, I’d visit, and often. As a writer and as a human being, I would be concerned about these things. What person wouldn’t care about what their peers were saying given everything that is at stake? Not unless they were Mr. Spock from Star Trek, a vulcan devoid of human emotions.
Yes, it was sarcasm because I couldn’t believe she would make such a petty remark. Who gives a damn that those people are visiting her blog? I don’t. What purpose does it serve to even mention it? None whatsoever.