Letters to Randy

Dear Randy Cohen, professional ethicist:

Help! I recently aquired a beautiful and amazing essay about writing spaces by Roxana Robinson.

Ms. Robinson, in all the excitement and flurry of her new book, must have been confused and somehow thought she was submitting this essay to the editor of the Lives Column (in your magazine), or that THB was a high quality literary magazine of the glossy-paged variety, complete with perfumed ad inserts and those annoying fluttery subscription cards.

Do I have to clarify to Ms. Robinson that THB is a lowly blog, the online ramblings of one writer in the outermost corner of the net, far from the mainstream literary media? Or can I just run the essay with impunity? (And while we’re on the topic of small, not-for-profit literary blogs and impunity: I am sure you’ll agree that using your logo is not something your legal department, with its exorbitant hourly rates—let’s look at the ethics there!— need worry about, right? )

My friends say that since the email was addressed to THB, that it’s perfectly cool to run it in its entirety.

Ms. Robinson’s newest collection, A Perfect Stranger: And other stories, has Alice Munro, queen goddess of the short story, raving, claiming the book will leave you feeling " grateful, deeply stirred, seriously happy"— with praise like that, could it be possible that what Robinson really wants to do is blog? If that's true, then it wouldn't be right to stop her from guest blogging, would it? Running the essay would be actually using my blogging powers for good, right?

Please advise.
xxx, THB

Comments

[KarenB]

Run it!

[Anne]

Run it! I'm aching with curiosity!