NY Observer > Michael Finkel http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/29054/feed Articles from Observer.com en Kaavyagate, the Prequel, the Sequel & the Miniseries http://www.observer.com/node/33125 The Harvard Independent is now calling the Kaavya Visnawathan story Kaavya-gate. That of course is their prerogative. Heck, they're college students. But the Times, after first imbibing the Kaavya story hook, line and stinker, is now chasing the bloggers. The Times got in a couple of swift kicks on Kaavya this morning, pointing out that there was another book it sure looks like she plagiarized, by Sophie Kinsella.

It's amazing that western civilization managed to get through a bunch of other publishing hoaxes, Janet Cooke, Rich Cohn, Stephen Glass, Michael Finkel and the Epstein kid (Jason, Jacob?) without the internet putting red ants in the doer's underpants. (Yes, I wish the internet had been there for the Vince Foster death in '93, but) the internet has no goddamn sense of proportion.

When are you going to let up on Kaavya? The girl's 19. When has the chick paid enough for her crimes? When does the story, unh, lose its interest? When is your Gotcha gland fully palped? O.K., I agree: maybe Kaavya should make a full confession. Maybe, as a comment-er said to me below, She should give back the money. But is that our business? I'm not sure. Little, Brown has behaved like mensches. Isn't it up to them and Kaavya whether they get the money back?

What's enough? Should we pillory her in Harvard yard? Should we give her a big red P to stitch on her shirt?

Secretly now I'm pulling for Kaavya. Go write a book about what happened, hon. But please—lose the Range Rover, you're destroying the glaciers.]]> http://www.observer.com/node/33125#comments Janet Cooke Michael Finkel Rich Cohn Stephen Glass Tue, 02 May 2006 13:05:44 -0400 Observer Staff 33125 at http://www.observer.com Michael Finkel Hacks Back http://www.observer.com/node/50765 Last Tuesday, April 26, a disgraced former New York Times Magazine writer named Michael Finkel was d  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/50765#comments Bozeman Christian Longo Michael Finkel The New York Times Magazine Sun, 08 May 2005 20:00:00 -0400 Sheelah Kolhatkar 50765 at http://www.observer.com Wracked Newsmen Split On Choice to Flee Baghdad http://www.observer.com/node/47284 Should they stay or should they go?That's been the question facing newsrooms around the world for mo  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/47284#comments Media Baghdad Jim Kelly Michael Finkel The New York Times Company Sun, 23 Mar 2003 19:00:00 -0500 Sridhar Pappu 47284 at http://www.observer.com Phony Slave Tale Causes Big Whup at Times Magazine http://www.observer.com/node/45697 When New York Times Magazine editor Adam Moss first heard that a contract writer named Michael Finke  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/45697#comments Media Adam Moss Ibrahim Haidara Michael Finkel Photographer Chris Anderson Sun, 03 Mar 2002 19:00:00 -0500 Gabriel Snyder 45697 at http://www.observer.com