According to Alexandra Alter, there's a publishing disagreement between Penguin Random House's Penguin Classics and Shawn Wong, a University of Washington professor, the John Okada estate and the University of Washington Press. The disagreement surrounds Penguin Classics new publication of John Okada's 1957 novel No-No Boy. The novel a Japanese-American man who refused to serve in the US military in WWII. Shawn Wong believes his 1976 copyright of the Okada novel (and subsequent transfer of the copyright to the University of Washington Press) prevents Penguin Classics from publishing the novel. Penguin Classics believes that copyright only covers portions of the novel and they can publish the remainder of the novel. Penguin published the novel in May.
Hearing even more booing and hissing, our kitty boy traveled on to The Seattle Times site. With no digging at all he found a post there about the disagreement too.
According to The Seattle Times' Moira Macdonald, Penguin Random House has now contacted the Okada estate. The estate representative, however, is not interested in dealing with Penguin at this time. The University of Washington has paid the Okada estate royalties for the novel since it was published by them. Penguin has made no such offer. Several Seattle bookstores have pledged not to sell Penguin Classics' version of No-No Boy. Several well-know authors have also voiced their disapproval of Penguin's actions.
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| I'm serious. Don't buy Penguin's version.. |
Panzer says, "Under no circumstances will this little kitty ever buy a copy of Penguin Classics' No-No Boy."
Note: The New York Times post is long. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. The Seattle Times post is also long. Bring another cup of tea and two muffins to read it too.
To read The New York Times post tootle over to No-No Boy
To read The Seattle Times post tootle over to John Okada's No No Boy
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