Ficlets

Now, this writer I feel genuine sympathy for: Patricia Cornwell is a best-selling author, but one persistent jerk can take a lot of shine off that distinction:

For the past seven years, a man has been filling websites with a relentless stream of vitriolic accusations against Cornwell: that she is a “Jew-hater” who follows Hitler, bribes judges, is conspiring to have him killed, and is under federal investigation. He has made no direct threats, and for a long time Cornwell ignored him. Last month she sued him for libel, hoping to shut him down, and Tuesday a federal judge ordered him to pull his attacks off the Internet.

Celebrities have been criticized, harassed, and harangued before. What is unusual about this case is both the persistence of the person behind the attacks and his use of the Internet, which has allowed him to lash out at his target from beyond the reach of the courts. The case also highlights a dilemma of the Internet age: how to defend against libel when the defamer can so easily hide.

One thing that is true is that writers, at least the popular ones like Cornwell, do have a bit of celebrity, and the celebrity can unfortunately make them a target. It’s not all upside. Something to think about when you’re dreaming of the bestseller charts.