Lesson learned on not stealing another writers words / intellectual property. I think you may be right about jealousyand I totally agree that Larson wound up revealing much more about her own character than anything else, really. Its also remarkable how you have been treated as a kidney donor. Follow Michael Barbaro on Twitter: @mikiebarb. Hi Annette! Good for you for signing up for thatI wish more people did! It depicted Sonya and her cohorts in the Chunky Monkey writing group as mean, and the group chats, emails, and text threads underscored this at every turn. Or worse, a girl fight in which were expected to take sides, like those disgustingly engineered "Housewives" brawls. Facebook likes to experiment with them, and does so on a regular basis, but will never admit to doing so in a million years. Engineered by Corey Schreppel. It happens every few months, somewhere or other, with a reliability approaching a new genre. They also know how to charm everyone and paint themselves as victims. Both Dorland's and Larson's reactions have been characterized as disproportionate. Im sure there were ways to get all of this out before social media, but they have atrophied as our appetite for ever-speedier and frictionless updates has grown. The sadness triggered in me relates to how mean spirited we have become as a society. Dawn was a student of mine, also at Grub. And she purposefully made the white woman in the story wealthy. Dorlands discontent with the parasociality of the Facebook group is totally understandable. You can try. This is major surgery and the person who donates a kidney (or a lobe of their liver) is taking a risk with their health and life, often times for someone they dont know. In late summer 2016, Larson wrote: Dude, I could write pages and pages more about Dawn. As the spouse of a donated kidney recipient, I strongly agree that the focus should be on the people awaiting donation. Lots of people, for some reason or another, dont do this and want the internet to function more like real life. To delve into this weeks viral piece of long form, Robert Kolkers New York Times Magazine feature Who Is the Bad Art Friend?, beyond the broad strokesthe woman who donated a kidney, the acquaintance who wrote a short story about the act, and the complicated legal battle that ensuedmay deny readers the opportunity to use it as a mirror to examine their own sense of morality. Shes been described as Africas most successful woman, one of the most powerful women in global television, and the African Oprah.. Now they were in court. Boom, The Supreme Court Ends Affirmative Action. Authors note: I wrote this piece in the hopes that people would be more reflective and less judgmental about this painful dispute. Dorland v Larson pulled in a lot of unconvincing culture war stuff around white saviourism, the exercise of privilege, the bullying of a less successful writer by her more successful peer, and something that could just about credibly reach the level of interesting: Dorland evoked Larsons scorn, in the first instance, by doing a laudable thing (donating a kidney), before attracting accusations of narcissism by banging on about it too much on Facebook. They become the supply for the sociopath to mess with. Online, you never even know who youre dealing withand you can be dealing with one person who has ten different accounts, for instance. I dont think anyone is in a position to judge Sonya Larson unless they have been the subject of a sustained literary and legal campaign against them for the crime of writing a short story that is a work of deep compassion and piercing insight. " is a bit of misdirection:. Now the possibility makes me feel all barf-y. "We are in process of identifying the best resource to conduct the third-party review and are not able to provide further details," GrubStreet board chair Kathy Sherbrooke wrote in an email to WBUR. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. By encouraging users to recreate their real-life social groups on the interneti.e., encouraging a loose definition of friendship that binds you to everyone youve ever met as though theyre someone your grandma knows from churchbut algorithmically amplifying negative posts without context, Facebook is uniquely able to force these people to interact. She posted about her act, and encouraged others to consider becoming donors. Chris, youre so right about the 24 hour news cycle. Imagine just imagine the feeling of waking up one morning to see choice snippets from your bitchiest group chat, chopped up and sprinkled throughout a splashy story in a national paper of record. Ostensibly, in this case, the story hinges on an allegation of plagiarism made by an aspiring author, Dawn Dorland, who in 2018 accused her erstwhile friend Sonya Larson, a published author, of lifting phrases from a letter she wrote and putting them in her prize-winning short story. Dawn donated a kidney to a stranger, just because she could. The way Sonya chose to amplify what she saw as Dawns pursuit of recognition, for fictional purposes, was the real dagger. Successful writer. Like Sonya Larson, the writer who used parts of Dorland's letter to her kidney's recipient as inspiration for a short story, I took these feelings and wrote a piece of fiction inspired by . Entitled Who Is the Bad Art Friend? it dissects the minutiae of an approximately six-year beef between unpublished writer Dawn Dorland, and published writer Sonya Larson. YES, I think what youre talking about is a really similar thing! The Sunday Read: The High-Risk Feat of Bringing American Born Chinese to TV. Imagine, if you will, that the subject of said texts was a mutual acquaintance who put a vital organ up for blind donation, for no tangible reason other than human kindness. Follow Cognoscenti on Facebook and Twitter. Around this time, she also decided to make a private Facebook group updating a small circle of friends, relatives, and members of a writing group who called themselves the Chunky Monkeys (I know and Im sorry but we dont have time to stop here; eyes on the prize) on her altruism. They identify with Larson feeling harassed and intimidated by Dorlands actions. June 2015, Dorland decided to make a non-directed donation of her kidney, meaning she made it available not to a specific person, but to any old stranger on a transplant list. In one of my writer Facebook groups where we all shared links to our publications, I shared an essay Id gotten published about my kidney donation. Also, the donors motivations, whatever they may be, dont affect the kidneys function. We want to hear from you. We are living in a highly criticizing society today, which has been egged on by social commentators, who in some cases USE that persons good deed to get followers and thereby $$$ to fill their bank accounts. If theres one thing a sociopath enjoys its a naive do gooder. Amelia Mason Arts And Culture ReporterAmelia Mason is an arts and culture reporter and critic for WBUR. As one of the older Millennials, like many of my generation, Ive written off Facebook as more harm than good and hope that better communities with better values blossom for creators and collaborators and their consumers/fans in the near future, through technologies that are just now gaining their legs. I think for someone in her position, its really tempting to jump onto a negative message thats popular with her own author crowd (and shes done it before, ganging up on a college student, of all people.). Jonathan Majors Accused of Abusing Two More Ex-Girlfriends. *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. Im sure she charmed the socks off of that NY Times author. Regardless, that detail in particular sets the narrative into motion, making it clear that though it might look like a story about community or making art, its really a story about Facebook. Which was not the case at all. Is Washington Finally Ready to Take On Big Tech? Lets not kid ourselves, however. Produced by Jack D'Isidoro and Dana Lyn. Im so happy to hear about your friend. It's a mysterious package, delivered by subtle sensory clues. Kidneygate / Bad Art Friend refers to the controversy and legal battle between writers Dawn Dorland and Sonya Larson. Thanks for reading, and thanks for commenting! Michele, you are so right. See more. Youre right about her not doing any research. You have my best wishes. Narrated by Samantha Desz. Was she annoying, crazy, a narcissist, or, as Helen Rosner of The New Yorker quickly declared in a tweet, a monster? This a really great, detailed (but long! The chatter didnt stop there. My central reaction to The Bad Art Friend, then, isnt an opinion but an emotion: sadness. If you are one of those people who writes, or spends a lot of time online or, heaven forbid, like me, does both you already have had your week swallowed by the viral New York Times Magazine article Who Is the Bad Art Friend? which chronicles the story of a bitter dispute between two Boston-area writers, Dawn Dorland and Sonya Larson. Larson also calls the letter informational, comparing it to, among other things, the text of a menu. I think giving body parts away while youre still alive is beyond praise: I cant think of any more selfless act possible. Who among us has not waggled their eyebrows at an attention-seeking tweet, or a praise-courting post, in the assumed confidence of like-minded friends? Since the Bad Art Friend story went public, GrubStreet hired an independent third party, legal firm Locke Lord, to assess GrubStreets actionsincluding their handling of an HR complaint made by Dorland against Larson which cited Larsons plagiarism; refusing to speak to Dorland at the 2017 Muse conference, at which Dorland was an instructor; and telling Dorland not to write about race. Small communities have always depended on shame, subtle policing, and the threat of expulsion to maintain boundaries; traditionally that has been about exercising power. She was involved in the GrubStreet writing center community while in Boston and after she moved away, and later invited "two dozen far-flung friends and family" to a private Facebook group she created to get support for her upcoming nephrectomy and recovery. Reviewed by Jessica Schrader, The recent New York Times Magazine article Who is the Bad Art Friend? has been burning up my Twitter timeline. Disproportionate reactions are painful to experience, observe, and be the target ofbut they occur. I appreciate that. Its Pride, which means more red carpets and more parties. The patriarchy loves a story in which two ambitious women are in conflict. Locke Lord will continue to advise GrubStreet by reviewing all of their internal standards. Toxic relationship dynamics often involve one-sided power and control. Bryn, Im sure the person who received your kidney appreciates your sacrifice every day. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. These facts seem self-evident, yet they must be carefully explained to people who have barely considered the recipients. The precision of Sonyas insight into Dawn and the way she chose to amplify Dawns narcissism for fictional purposes was the real dagger. Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, and a stellar cast demolish tropes in A24's new series. How anyone could see organ donation as anything other than a selfless act is beyond me. I have these questions: We can all do better at understanding and being understood, being allies to the vulnerable and to our own vulnerability, and seeking care, not vengeance, when the chips are down. Oct. 24, 2021. Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated to whom Dorland addressed her letter. The exigencies of Facebook have made our previous disciplinary structures impossible, and the ones that have emerged, such as gossipy group chats, are curiously susceptible to subpoena power, as is made painfully clear in Bad Art Friend.. She parlayed her work regarding her biracial status into some great work. The woman is a gold mine! Trust, there is more, but arguably the most damning exchange came in January 2016, when Larson allegedly texted two friends the following: I think Im DONE with the kidney story but I feel nervous about sending it out b/c it literally has sentences that I verbatim grabbed from Dawns letter on FB. Im kind of glad you missed most of that mess, haha. Hi Anne! Original music by Dana Lyn. ? The whole thing though I try to ignore it persists in making me uncomfortable. And people can be so weird! Others react with a knee-jerk viciousness and a mad scramble to prove the donor isnt a good person. This violates a slightly less important rule of online life: Its fine to gossip, but assiduously hide the receipts. They pored over her Instagram looking for evidence of less-than-virtuous motivations for donating, apparently never asking themselves what their own motivations were in all this. Having a working kidney has given him a new, improved life. Get the latest chatter, from Kensington Palace and beyond, straight to your inbox. I think, like your experience with people not trusting your motives, Sonya put a lot onto Dawn. Larson must convince the court that Dorland's letter does not contain protectable expression or that her copying qualifies as fair use, a legal doctrine that protects "purposes such as criticism,. There's zero defense for Larson. has left his job to speak more freely about A.I. Some GrubStreet staff members made disparaging remarks about Dorland in the exchanges. That story should never have been submitted to us in the first place as it carried a threat of lawsuit from the get-go.), Artistic director Christopher Castellanihimself a Chunky Monkey groupchat memberwill stay with the organization. Ah thanks Lindy. . Three components of burnout are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced efficacy. To parse the winding tale into the most condensed version possible, the story begins when Dorland made the decision to donate a kidney to a stranger. My hope is that the good are rewarded for the good they do, and the bad or malicious are set in a more proper direction. If Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg want to brawl in a big metal cage, who am I to stop them? However, Sherbrooke added that the organization"intends to conduct a thorough review of our processes and functions," including how it ensures inclusivity and "how we can better articulate our values around things such as ethics and empathy, which are core to community building as well as good writing.". My wishes are clearly known and Organ Donor is designated on my drivers license. Theyd realize that using a huge personal platform to denigrate and cast doubt on a kidney donor might discourage others from talking about it, which could lead to fewer new donors and more deaths. After her surgery, she posted something to her group: a heartfelt letter shed written to the final recipient of the surgical chain, whoever they may be. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. Thank you for the kind words! You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. We were unable to subscribe you to WBUR Today. There is a further criterion, which Bad Art Friend thoroughly met this week, and which centres on the types of people involved. Larson is currently in charge of GrubStreet's annual Muse and the Marketplace conference, and helps run the organization's Boston Writers of Color affinity group. I cant imagine anyone whos life was saved with a donor kidney would look down on the person who gave it. And now shes got the world in on it. The nonprofit, which recently moved into a 13,000-square-foot space in the Seaport, offers a range of workshops to writers of all ages and levels. Is your impression correct? They suggest that Dorland holding Larson responsible for her difficult emotions smacks of requiring co-dependency. The 6-3 decision arrives one day after the Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. DONATE MY ORGANS?. The immediate staff changes: as agreed to by GrubStreets executive leadership and board, Sonya Larson has left her leadership role as head of GrubStreets annual Muse & the Marketplace conference; Alison Murphy, a Chunky Monkey who told Larson that all the Chunky Monkeys would ice [Dorland] out if she tries to mess with you, has left her role as Director of Online Learning. I truly appreciate the good wishes. And will save you money on facials in the long run. Kwan's Oscar acceptance speech highlights the power of interdependence.
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