Newly released American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins tells the story of Mexican immigrants who cross the American border—but the author identifies as white. The work has been criticized as appropriative and has reinvigorated debate over who can tell what stories. On Tuesday, Oprah announced the book as her latest club pick, and she was met with swift Twitter backlash. For more context, read Hillel Italie at the AP.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
