A Stumble on the Road to Success

I must admit to being a little bit gleeful when I read about this little Harvard hot stuff's fall from grace. (And yes, that makes me a vindictive, envious troll.) I'm sure Ms. Viswanathan is a very talented young woman. You'd have to be to get published at 19 right? Or maybe not. Maybe you're just good at regurgitating things you've already read in a fun new package.

Actually, I haven't read any of her stuff, so I can't judge. And there's no doubt that it's possible to internalize other people's writing, especially when you admire it. But just because I like Falkner doesn't mean I'm going to spit out a paragraph Benjy-style. I hope this is a lesson to all the other 17-year-olds who are about to get book deals. Be careful what you crib from. A lot of people will want to see you take a fall.

Her fellow Harvardites are none too happy.