[LCC] Fwd: Taylor and Francis

[jerise at jerise.com]

I think this sounds like a good idea.

Jeri

> What if we put the idea of a boycott on ice for the moment, but wrote
> letters to T&F saying that the cancellation "gives the appearance of"
> bowing to blinkered conservatism out of fear the subject matter would
> prove too controversial?  That doesn't infer anything about anyone's
> motives for cancellation, it only reads the semiotics of the situation.
>
> Micaela
>
> Micaela Janan
> Associate Professor
> Classical Studies Department
> Duke University
> 233 Allen Building
> Box 90103
> Durham, NC 27708-0103
> (919) 684-2257
>
>
>
> On Jun 5, 2009, at 11:31 AM, Kirk Ormand wrote:
>
>> I've written Beert Verstaete (one of the editors of the special
>> volume) and asked him to send me the full text of the e-mail from
>> Kathryn Rutz (editor at Taylor & Francis) declining the issue.
>> Here, evidently, is the e-mail in full:
>>
>>> Dear Dr DeCecco and Dr Verstraete:
>>>
>>> After review of the manuscripts of your guest edited special issue
>>> Sexual Intimacy between Adult and Adolescent Males, which was sent
>>> to us
>>> by Jay Harcourt as intended for publication in the Journal of
>>> Homosexuality 56 (5/6), a decision has been made not to publish this
>>> material. We appreciate the opportunity to consider the articles for
>>> publication, but choose not to proceed.
>>>
>>> We are grateful to have had the chance to look at this work, and wish
>>> you the very best.
>>>
>>> Sincerely,
>>>
>>> Kathy
>>> Kathryn Rutz
>>> Acquisitions Editor, Behavioral Science and Social Work
>>> Taylor and Francis Group
>>> 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800
>>> Philadelphia, PA  19106
>>> Tel: 607-222-0169
>>> Kathryn.rutz at taylorandfrancis.com
>>>
>> Not much to go on there.
>>
>> Prof. Verstaete goes on to describe several phone conversations
>> with Ms. Rutz as follows:
>>> As I mentioned in my letter to the ALA, Rutz would not disclose the
>>> specific reason(s) for the refusal to publish, simply saying in a
>>> subsequent e-mail that T&F had exercised their "judgment."
>>> However, in
>>> the one telephone conversation I had with her, she did say that the
>>> management of T&F was aware of the controversy created in the
>>> early Fall
>>> of 2005 by the special issue of the JofH entitled, Same-Sex Desire
>>> and
>>> Love in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Classical Tradition of
>>> the West
>>> (which was eventually published by the Haworth Press, albeit with
>>> Bruce
>>> Rind's article removed), and that one could "infer" from this that
>>> they
>>> were concerned about a repetition of the controversy.
>>
>> I'm not all that comfortable (personally) leading a charge on the
>> basis of an inference authorized by hearsay.
>>
>> Kristina has, I believe, written Ms. Rutz and asked for
>> clarification; I take it she hasn't heard back yet.  It would be
>> good to be in full command of the facts before LCC takes any action.
>>
>> I should also say that Andrew Lear's comments (earlier to this
>> list) are well-taken. We have little leverage in a case like this.
>> While my immediate instinct, if we are convinced that the editorial
>> decision was based on homophobia, is that we should bring financial
>> pressure to bear on Taylor and Francis (i.e. by a boycott of
>> Routledge), this would probably have unintended effects, and not
>> necessarily good ones.  Do we want T&F to drop Routledge's line of
>> studies of ancient sexuality?  Surely not.  But this is one
>> possible result of such action.
>>
>> Much to consider here.
>>
>> Kirk
>>
>>
>>
>>
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