Co-Ed Author Still Treading Water

Oh it’s been a doozy of a week for Harvard sophomore, Kaavya Viswanathan, since her college paper, the Crimson, first reported that her novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got a Life, is just a bit too similar to author Megan F. McCafferty’s novels. At first, Viswanathan told the media that she had “no idea what they are talking about” and then went about her normal life as a Harvard co-ed. Of course, Bostonist is sure that she skipped class these past few days after this story of potential plagiarism is now being covered nationally by the media. She did issue a statement on Monday, saying that ''I wasn't aware of how much I may have internalized Ms. McCafferty's words . . . any similarities between her words and mine were completely unintentional and unconscious." Then she went on the Today Show this morning and told Katie Couric, “I genuinely believed each word was my own.”

Well, McCafferty’s publisher, Random House, is not accepting that at all and has issued a press release, stating, “it is inconceivable that this was a display of youthful innocence or an unconscious or unintentional act.” The Globe was able to speak to Steve Ross, Senior V.P. and Publisher of Crown Publishing Group (part of Random House) and told the paper that McCafferty isn’t eating or sleeping because of all this book drama. Also, they’ve found over 40 passages now in “How Opal…” that are very similar to McCafferty’s words.

And the kicker of it all? Viswanathan’s book is climbing those damn book charts quicker than ever, with its current ranking on Amazon.com at #61. (Isn’t that the American way?) Her publisher, Little, Brown, did say that her books will remain on the shelves and that certain passages may be rewritten in future printings.

Bostonist is so intrigued over the overachieving Viswanathan and her predicament that we bet it’ll be on MTV’s “True Life: I’m a Plagiarizer” (and it might even be better than that plastic surgery episode with the guy wanting calf implants).