“Lovely One”: Justice Jackson Given Book Deal With a Notable Difference From Her Colleague Justice Barrett

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson just secured a major book deal from Random House. The book, entitled “Lovely One,” is aptly named given the sharp contrast to the reception to the book deal given to her colleague, Amy Coney Barrett. Barrett’s book, also with a Random House company, was opposed by publishers and editors including over 50 who publicly claimed to be working at Penguin Random House companies. She was deemed a persona non grata by editors who wanted to prevent readers from reading about her own personal views and history. 

“Lovely One” will tell Jackson’s life’s story and she will receive an advance of $1 million. I am delighted by the news of the book. Jackson has a fascinating life story to tell.

It is the reception to the book that is most striking. As discussed earlier, various publishers and editors publicly called for Barrett to be barred from publication due to her jurisprudential views. It did not matter that these views are generally shared not only by over half of the Supreme Court and hundreds of judges but arguably half of the voters. After all, why burn books when you can effectively ban them?

The public letter entitled “We Dissent” made the usual absurd protestation that, just because we are seeking to ban books of those with opposing views, we still “care deeply about freedom of speech.” They simply justified their anti-free speech position by insisting that any harm “in the form of censorship” is less than “the form of assault on inalienable human rights” in opposing abortion or other constitutional rights. Yet, the letter is not simply dangerous. It is perfectly delusional. While calling for the book to be blocked, the editors and writers bizarrely insisted “we are not calling for censorship.”

Among the “literary figures” who signed the public petition were Penguin Random house editors and staff.  This included over fifty individuals who listed their association with Penguin and Random House in publicly calling for the book banning. While we cannot confirm many of these signatories, they remain publicly posted and some claim senior positions at the company:

Listed in order on the petition:

  1. Michelle Lee, Assistant Editor/Penguin Young Readers
  2. Ada Fung, Editor, Penguin Random House  
  3. Mary, Penguin Publishing Group
  4. Isabella Biedenharn, Random House
  5. Estelle Malmed, Senior Associate, Ebook Dev Ops, Penguin Random House  
  6. Abbe Wright, Penguin Random House 
  7.  Bridget Sweet, Production Editor, Penguin Random House
  8. Maija Baldauf, Penguin Publishing Group
  9. Emily Schultz, Author with Penguin Random House
  10. Emily Hoffman, Assistant Managing Editor/Penguin Random House
  11. Megan Tripp, Senior Social Media Manager, Random House Group
  12. Emilie Mills, Subsidiary Rights/Penguin Random House
  13. Bridget [No Last Name listed], Penguin Random House
  14. Ty Nowicki, Director Creative Ops / Random House
  15. Emi Lotto, Production Manager, Penguin Random House
  16. Claire Yee, Senior editor / Penguin Random House
  17. James Akinaka, Digital Marketing Manager, Penguin Random House 
  18. Angela Sardella, Penguin Random House 
  19. Corina Diez, Marketing Associate/ Random House
  20. Anna Scheithauer, Copyright Associate/Penguin Random House
  21. Korra Saqqara (Christa Angelios), Copyright Associate, Penguin Random House
  22. Ashleigh Heaton, Assistant Director of Marketing, Penguin Random House
  23. Josh Luft, Sr. Manager/Penguin Random House
  24. Heather Lewis, Copyrights Assoc. / Penguin Random House LLC
  25. Gretchen Durning, Associate Editor / Penguin Random House
  26. Kate Bennion, Penguin Random House
  27. Lindsey Tulloch, Penguin Random House
  28. Casey Nugent, Penguin Random House
  29. Molly Humphrey, Penguin Random House
  30. Alex Cruz-Jimenez, Marketing Associate, Penguin Random House
  31. Sarah Blumenstock, Senior Editor/Penguin Random House
  32. Carole DeSanti, ex-VP and Exec Ed, PenguinRandomHouse
  33. Miranda Stinson, Penguin Random House (former employee, 2019-2021)
  34. Yunyi Zhang, Managing Editorial Assistant/Penguin Publishing Group
  35. Katelyn MacKenzie, Production Manager/Penguin Random House
  36. Maya Smith, Penguin Random House
  37. Sarah Turbin, Penguin Random House
  38. Kayla Steinorth, Penguin Random House
  39. Danielle K, Penguin Random House
  40. Kristine Swartz, Senior Editor, Penguin Random House
  41. Rob Holden, Penguin Random House
  42. Hope Ellis, Managing editor, Penguin Random House
  43. Dasia Payne, Managing Editorial, Penguin Random House
  44. Charlotte Lesnick, Penguin Random House
  45. Richard Wylde, Penguin Random House
  46. Alison Wallach, Penguin Random House
  47. Maggie Hinders, Penguin Random House
  48. Becca Brummett, Associate Manager/Penguin Random House
  49. Grant Griglak, Director / Penguin Random House
  50. Irene Gould, Penguin Random House
  51. Liz Lee, Managing Editor, Penguin Random House Canada

Again, the signatures of these petitions are not authenticated or confirmed. Indeed, some “literary figures” signed simply as “Barbara Hirsch, Avid reader” or only gave initials or first names (including two alleged employees identified only as “Mary” and “Bridget”).

Conservative, libertarian, or even contrarian writers often discuss how difficult it is to be published today due to the bias of editors and reviewers. This bias is often kept concealed and even denied in public. In this case, however, over 50 self-identified as Penguin Random House editors and staff members to expressly call for the banning of books by those who hold opposing views on issues like abortion.

For Barrett, the intolerance was nothing new. At her alma mater, Rhodes College alumni sought to strip references to Barrett from the college because they disagree with her views. Her college sorority was even forced to apologize for simply congratulating her for being one of a handful of women to be nominated to the high court.

No attack appears to be beyond the pale for media or the left. Barrett sat through days of such baseless attacks on her character and even had to face attacks referencing her children. Ibram X. Kendi, the director of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, claimed that her adoption of two Haitian children raised the image of a “white colonizer” and suggested that the children were little more than props for their mother.

That is the difference between being the “Lovely One” or the “Evil One” in the eyes of editors and writers. Rather than transcending their own bias and working for a diversity of opinions in publications, these editors and writers want less free expression on the pages of Penguin Random House and other publications. They are not alone. The petition contains editors from the largest academic and commercial publishers.

This letter was not simply another manifestation of viewpoint intolerance. It is a statement would seem to constitute virtual self-loathing from people who work in the literary world; writers and editors who cannot abide the publication of opposing views.

 

247 thoughts on ““Lovely One”: Justice Jackson Given Book Deal With a Notable Difference From Her Colleague Justice Barrett”

  1. This from the same woman who, having all the physical and mental components of being a woman, including XX chromosomes, cannot define what a woman is.

    I don’t care what the rest of her story is. How can one be sure any of it is little more than fraud? Unreal.

      1. george227 wrote, “Trump paid for sex while his wife was home with a new baby. Didn’t that bother you? But this does??”

        It’s interesting how the mind of an ignorant internet troll functions.

        No george227, this isn’t about Trump you imbecile, your deflection is a transparent and completely irrelevant whataboutism.

      2. JFK, Monster, By Timothy Noah

        “I knew that John F. Kennedy was a compulsive, even pathological adulterer, given to taking outlandish risks after he entered the White House. I knew he treated women like whores. And I knew he had more than a few issues with his father about toughness and manliness and all that. But before I read in the newspaper that Mimi Alford’s just-released memoir, Once Upon A Secret: My Affair With President John F. Kennedy And Its Aftermath, described giving Dave Powers a blow job at JFK’s request and in his presence, I didn’t know that Kennedy had an appetite for subjecting those close to him to extreme humiliation.”

        “Clinton pays Paula Jones $850,000”
        Associated Press, Wed 13 Jan 1999 13.15 EST
        “WASHINGTON (AP) – Paula Jones is awaiting the arrival of an $850,000 cheque from President Clinton, bringing an official end to the four-year saga spurred by her allegations of sexual harassment.”

        “FDR and His Women”
        “… she was deeply wounded to discover that Franklin had been having an affair with her secretary, Lucy Mercer.”

        Bill Clinton as enabled by Hillary Clinton
        _______________________________

        1. Eileen Wellstone (1969) Allegation: Sexual assault
        2. Anonymous female student at Yale University (1972) Allegation: Sexual assault
        3. Anonymous female student at the University of Arkansas (1974) Allegation: Sexual assault
        4. Anonymous female lawyer (1977) Allegation: Sexual assault
        5. Juanita Broaddrick (1978) Allegation: Rape
        6. Carolyn Moffet (1979) Allegation: Sexual assault
        7. Elizabeth Ward (1983) Allegation: Unclear
        8. Sally Perdue (1983) Allegation: Unclear
        9. Paula Jones (1991) Allegation: Sexual harassment
        10. Sandra Allen James (1991) Allegation: Sexual assault
        11. Christy Zercher (1992) Allegation: Sexual assault
        12. Kathleen Willey (1993) Allegation: Sexual assault

        1. George – and don’t forget about his brother causing the death of a young intern while sneaking away for sex in the back seat of his Oldsmobile in Chappaquiddick. None of his Democratic colleagues even cared.

      3. Wow. Were you there? Trolls like to make up BS and pretend it’s truth. Well, I was in Slick Willies undies the day he gave HRC the syphillies. Now she needs diapers and an undercover amboolance following her all around. See? Two can play the proppyganda game, there hasbarat.

  2. any book deal is just a bribe by other means. especially in the million dollar range.

  3. Any progressive Democrat that says they’re for diversity is a bald-faced liar. They want literally ZERO diversity of thought or publicly shared opinions, to them the hive mind rules the roost. These people are intellectual cowards and this is another example of their blatantly transparent and open bigotry and persecution towards anyone that differs in thought and opinion. These people are immoral totalitarians.

      1. george227 wrote, “Please stop the demonization.”

        Awwww isn’t that sweet, I think I’ve hurt george227’s feelings. The truth hurts, doesn’t it, take your nonsensical snowflaking elsewhere.

        george227 wrote, “If you want violence, say so, but not with inflammatory verbiage.”

        There is nothing, I repeat NOTHING, in my comment suggesting I want violence. Your verbiage is extrapolating my words to absurdity and therefore you are the one being intentionally inflammatory. You are intentionally trying to provoking an emotional response like internet troll tend to do, was that your intention?

      2. Please stop the demonization de-monitization

        FTFY

        because every racist black judge needs to have their fair share of grievance based reparations

        NY judge accused of making racist, anti-gay remarks agrees to step down

        Thompson, who was paid a $210,900 yearly salary, was accused of saying that homosexuality is an “abomination,” claiming that Hispanic people have “deceitful traits” and called four other judges “gay racist f—-ts” who were “all f——-g each other.”

        https://nypost.com/2023/01/09/ny-judge-agrees-to-step-down-amid-misconduct-charges-citing-health/

  4. Publisher says it’s committed to Amy Coney Barrett book despite opposition
    by Dominick Mastrangelo – 11/01/22 8:28 AM ET
    https://thehill.com/homenews/3713707-publisher-says-its-committed-to-amy-coney-barrett-book-despite-opposition/

    Sentinel (Publisher)
    Parent company: Penguin Group
    Founded: 2003
    Founder: Adrian Zackheim
    Country of origin: United States
    Headquarters location: New York City
    Publication types: Books
    Official website: https://www.penguin.com/sentinel-overview/

      1. 500 years from now, in the remote chance that America still exists, this “making up for the original sin” white guilt will still exist, and will still be raging on in the form of quotas, equity, diversity anywhere people perceive it doesn’t already exist, ad infinitum. It’s really just tribalism at this point already, disguised as something virtuous.

  5. Under Turkeys logic not publishing a book equals censorship. What if the initial editor who approved Barrett’s book changes their mind,bis that now censorship? Censorship bis now so watered down

  6. People who oppose the publication of an important public official’s personal memoir are scared little sissies. Their backbone is made of jello and they hunker down in their little basements, quaking with nervousness, so frightened of what someone might say in their book. Pathetic little dweebs.

    1. No one is talking about an important political person. We’re talking about a talking head.

      The rest of your screed is likely pure projection

      1. Perhaps you are referring to Justice Jackson as a talking head. That’s bad enough. But in your haste you failed to consider that I was, in fact, referring to Justice Barrett as the person whose memoir is opposed by sissies. That is evident from the fact that nobody is reported to oppose Justice Jackson’s memoir, whereas the whole point of the Professor’s article is that a bunch of weak-kneed cowards and dweebs are opposing Justice Barrett’s book. I thumb my nose in their general direction!

    2. So when’s the war? This Ketanji is dumber than a box of rocks and of course will base all decisions on race. So….again….when’s the war?

  7. If these employees seek to object to their publishing house’s contracts, then they should go work for another publisher. There are publishers who specialize in far Left material, which would be a better fit.

    If Penguin Random House had given in, and broken its publishing contract with Justice Coney Barrett, then readers would know that this publishing house discriminates against conservatives, and vote by wallet.

  8. Cancel culture is wrong. If you don’t like someone, don’t buy their book. Don’t interfere with their book getting published.

    The intolerance of the Left seeks to prevent invited conservative speakers from being heard on college campuses, by threatening them, or the school, or by screaming over them. They seek to prevent conservatives from getting books published, or sold. Drag Queens get access to read to children while wearing sexy, skimpy outfits, often revealing their crotches to the innocent kids present, yet many public libraries boycotted Kirk Cameron from reading his children’s book aloud, which encourages children to persevere. HIs lawyers had to get involved before he was allowed to read it aloud.

    Before anyone says, “yeah, but Republicans cancelled books in libraries,” let me head them off at the pass. It is required to screen books in public school libraries. All books do not belong in all schools. For one, the library is limited on space. For another, it is a crime, for example, for a teacher to show a child X-rated material. One would not want to include books on making pipe bombs to middle school students, or books published by Man Boy Love groups to elementary students. Books must be age appropriate for children. Parents objected to books that praised sexual relations between children and adults, which praised children getting into bed with their parents while the latter had $ex, and which promoted changing gender as a wonderful idea, skipping over the part that involves castration and the high suicide risk. Parents have every right to voice their opinion over material they find objectionable in public school libraries. They did not prevent those books from getting published, or sold. They just didn’t want their own kids given access to sexualized topics at school without their permission. That does not cancel the book. The book is still published and sold.

        1. george227 wrote, “Cancel culture? Which political party tried to cancel national election? Get real, please.”

          Be honest, you’re just spewing ridiculous nonsense and deflections to troll this comment thread, aren’t you. What moron.

  9. a: people can do business with who they want to do business with.
    b: 51 signatures out of more than 1000 employees – context matters. It just doesnt help your narrative.

      1. You do nto seem to get – it is irrelevant who opposes it.

        The book is going to get published.

        That will happen because there is a market for it.

        We can not stop the sale of drugs in this country – you really think you can stop the publication of a book that many people want to read ?

        Random House is free to decide that it does not want to be the publisher to profit from Barrets book.
        I suspect that is unlikely, despite what some staff may wish.

        This is a new delusion of the woke left as they have invaded the lower tiers of business having destroyed universities.

        Even leftist organizations like the ACLU and NAACP have become thoroughly ineffectual as a consequence of the invading woke locusts attacking the older left that holds power in this organizations.

        The children do not grasp that human thriving and survival depends on producing what OTHERS value.

        Businesses are either profiting or dying. Publishers can play tiny games at the fringes, but they can not leave millions on the table for long.

        1. John I understand your position. . My problem with it an random house is that the people bold enough to publicly oppose Their Employers decision in this matter were people with power to influence publication. This borders on insubordination. They could and should have been fired in mass and for cause. it appears that Random House accepted this slap in the face and did nothing. Question. What do you think Random House’s response would ha been if this were done to Jackson instead of Barrette ??

          1. “This borders on insubordination. They could and should have been fired in mass and for cause.”

            That is a decision for Random houses management.
            If they make that decision well – Random house will thrive.
            If they do not it will not.

            Next, evaluation of Random House managements decisions – is up to Random Houses board of directors.
            Again if the Board accurately judges management – Random house will thrive
            If they do not it will not.

            The evaluation of the board is by Random house shareholders – and works exactly the same.

            At the top level – the more wise choices are made within our businesses, the more rapidly standard of living rises and the better off we all are.

            Absolutely I agree with you Random Houses owners likely should fire these people – but that is THEIR decision not mine.

            We are already seeing a growing backlash in business against this woke nonsense.
            That is occuring because the overall quality of products in industries that have gone woke has declined.
            It is my understanding that total entertainment industry revenues are down 1/2 Trillion dollars.
            That is enormous.

            Disney appears to have mostly ended its woke war. Not because DeSantis is some hero.
            But because Disney’s Brand is kids shows, and the people who decide what Kids get to watch are parents.
            Parents do not want political indoctrination in their kids entertainment.

            There is room in all industries for Niche markets. A company can do well identifying itself with woke values, or with conservative values.
            But Disney is not a Niche market.

            And the left seems to think that values that can thrive in niche markets should also do well accross broad markets – and that is just not so.

    1. Anonymous: a) yes, but they did choose initially to “do business” with Justice Barrett, and their decision was changed for some reason; b) signatures from 51 employees (or any number) should not cause the managment to change its mind, but something did. If it was not the petition, what was it?

  10. Well, thank heaven for independent publishing. The only things traditional publishers can offer are publicity and distribution. With Amazon, their relevance is shrinking.

  11. I started wondering why a person would title a book about themselves Lovely One. You all may already know, but (as a little research turned up) it’s the translation of her given first and middle names, Ketanji Onyika. Many websites say it’s a translation from an African language, but oddly they don’t say what the language is, only that it is from west Africa. They note Justice Brown’s aunt, who was based in West Africa with the Peace Corps at the time of her birth, sent her parents a list of African girls’ names and her parents picked Ketanji Onyika.

    Her parents’ names are Johnny and Ellery Brown. Her daughters’ names are Talia and Leila, which are beautiful names IMHO.

    1. Does that make you feel less racist? Because I have no idea what else the point of that is, unless you have begun to realize that you have been completely bamboozled by pro-black propaganda and that is a cry for help. Without looking, what are sotomayor’s kids names?

      1. What the heck are you talking about, sir? I explained at the beginning of my comment, if you would have taken the time to read it. I got to wondering why she chose that title. Without such knowledge the idea of titling one’s own memoir Lovely One seemed a bit bizarre. So I researched it, and reported what I found. In my research I happened to see the kids’ names and found them to be beautiful name. So . . . bad me, eh? What are you so angry about to have such a hateful response to something so uncontroversial? You must be angry at someone, but I don’t think it’s me.

  12. Ah, “The Fable of Action Jackson.”

    But that General Secretary and Dear Leader “Crazy Abe” illegally and unconstitutionally held a gun to America’s head to compel the violation of every statute, US Code and fundamental law in America, forcing the improper and unconstitutional ratification of “injurious” amendments through the liberal application of brute military occupation, oppression and force, ultimately compelling the employment of unconstitutional political emulsifiers to force the impossible mixture of political oil and water, the progenitors of the illustrious “fake,” “Affirmative Action Jackson Justice” would have been, by extant immigration and naturalization law, compassionately repatriated on January 1, 1863, most Americans not being desirous of leaving an adverse, 3 million-man, foreign, standing army on U.S. soil – whatever did the spirits of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Jay, Madison, Hamilton et al. think of that pernicious development, having spent eight long, onerous years defeating the British rendition?

    And they say, “Crime doesn’t pay!”

    Speaking of which, is it a crime to abrogate the Constitution and Bill of Rights in America and replace them with the Communist Manifesto?

    Apparently, crime does pay, and handsomely.

  13. Despite the daily drumbeat from Turley on how the right-wing is so mistreated, publishers know the free market works best when there is fact and truth, behind what’s written.

    1. I am not especially concerned about book publishers.
      They are in the free market.
      If they make poor choices, the market will punish them.

      Failing to publish the book of someone who appeals to half the country is a self punishing act.

      Estimated losses to the entertainment industry of the past couple of years of woke nonsense are 1/2 a trillion dollars.

      Do you really think that can continue very long ?

      The scale of the collusion and conspiracy in social media – the involvement of nearly all of government, the democratic party, the DNC, and the Biden campaign is very disturbing.

      But ultimately it is self punishing.

      Trust in our institutions – government, the media, is at an all time low. And ultimately that translates into lost money, lost jobs, and the opportunity for others to step in.

      Fox is close to dwarfing the rest of left wing nut media combined – and Fox is not all that well liked – even outside the left.
      Alternatives are thriving – Journalists on Substack and other forumns for real journalism are thriving.

      When something fails to meet our needs – that creates opportunity.

      There is a clear need for independent and trustworthy journalism.
      And those meeting that need are growing.

    2. Fishwings sounds like what someone would have said after German Officials made Jews wear the Star of David badge when they went out in public – not good business to associate with those Jews. Most of us don’t want to ignore the fascist tendencies of the liberal Left, their Press propagandists, and their corporate cartel. Same type of evil emanating from the US Leftists of today that we saw in 1938. But the smart ones of us fight back!

      1. Your the reason why shampoo companies have to put directions on their products.

        1. Given your obvious belief in your own superiority, opinion and general knowledge, I’ll assume the typo was due to auto correct or perhaps you were busy correcting someone else about her/his opinion.

    3. Conservatives are and have been discriminated against as evidence by your own words. “free market works best when there is fact and truth,” what you are saying is Justice Barrett is a liar and has no right to be published and the one on your side is truthful and as such, has a right to be published. Typical leftist BS so get over yourself. BTW, the pendulum is swinging in the other direction. When this crazy woke, cancel culture is stomped out what are you going to do? I’ll bet you will be the first one here crying. haha.

      1. The pendulum swung the opposite direction in 2016.

        What has occured since then is a massive conspiracy by the left, the media, social media. and much of government to thwart a political realignment that has been underway for a decade.

        Eventually the dam will burst.
        Among other reasons because ever more force is needed to preserve the status quo.
        More force means more opposition and more mistakes and more stupidity.

  14. This issue boils down to Conceit of moral principles, anything not in compliance is forbid. These true tyrants are not the antisepsis of free speech; they instead are the path to ignorance.

    1. Great! The coach should have to supply the $100K himself. His conduct toward her was outrageous.

      Adair continued to berate Hening [for her political beliefs] until he benched her and ultimately made things so intolerable that she felt she had no choice but to quit the team, according to the suit.

  15. “Holy publishing house, virtue, signaling Batman!”… or…” how presidential affirmative action raised me to the Supreme Court.”

  16. This is what the American left, and by extension the Democratic Party, is all about. The party holds the people noted in this article with adulation.

  17. Hunter will do the artwork for the dust cover. Seems appropriate since Epstein was–ahem–the ghost writer.

    All these bios are payola. That’s all they’ve ever been. I don’t read them, let alone buy them.

    Churchill wrote an epic history of WWII, but it was payola, too. He couldn’t write about Ultra and a host of other classified matters that affected the outcome. There are things Bill and Hillary couldn’t put in writing that would make your eyes water (and that’s the fun stuff). Ketanji Brown-Jackson can’t really get into her legal theory in this “book” for obvious reasons.

    Oh, but you say, what about the human-interest side of it? Ever since they claimed Bret Kavanaugh ran “rape gangs” in his callow youth, I’ve lost all interest in anything these liars have to say about anybody, including themselves. The Deep State lies even under oath, and Ketanji is an enthusiastic member of that club.

          1. Kavanaugh was known as a drink and vomit personality, like he admitted. He attacked her. When he came out nasty and aggressive after lunch, he should have been asked if he had a drink for lunch,the sign of a nasty drunk.

            1. George, thank goodness you’re here, up until now no one had any idea (proof) of where, when, who, or how this supposed assault happened, including the “afraid to fly” Ms. Ford or her best friend. We are all so fortunate that you know better and were able to take time off from Twitter, your normal post for deciding fact or fiction.

        1. edwardmahl,
          Also when Trump found out about the underaged girls, he had Epstein thrown out of Mar-Largo and never had contact with Epstein again.
          Now, Bill Clinton on the other hand . . .

          1. Nope. That was after Epstein was arrested and roasted in public media. Before that he and Epstein had a bunch of girls over for “auditions”, and they were the only men there. Look it up.

  18. kamala harris earned her start in politics, too, but I fail to see why books are necessary on the matters – that story is older than books.

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