Sutherland doesn't like curried books after all

So, yesterday, I started writing this totes amusing post about book critic John Sutherland and how he backed down from his original claim that "If The Enchantress of Florence doesn't win this year's Man Booker I'll curry my proof copy and eat it."

As everyone has heard by now, Rushdie's newest novel was not nominated (according to jury chair Michael Portillo, "In the opinion of [the judges] taken together, Salman Rushdie's was not one of the top six books for us. We didn't have a huge debate about it."), and Sutherland has totally backed down.

But, since I was a little slow to actually finish the post and send it to the Editor to put up, I have realized that NY Mag's Vulture section already wrote it for me. Rather than try to top them, I'll just repost it here for your reading pleasure (I have also stolen their handy art work).

Back in April, reviewing Salman Rushdie's most recent novel in the pages of the Financial Times, book critic John Sutherland — even though he admitted to not understanding its plot — made this bold promise: "If The Enchantress of Florence doesn't win this year's Man Booker I'll curry my proof copy and eat it." Today, however, after the Rushdie-less Booker short list was announced, Sutherland reneged: "I vowed — publicly — to curry and eat my proof copy of The Enchantress of Florence if it didn't win. It won't. And I won't. So there." Shameful! We suppose we could understand if he were backing out of eating a tough, chewy stitch-bound hardcover first edition — but this is a soft-cover proof copy! Those things are delicious!

--Ladytron

What would Padma say?

There's a new book coming out from Salman Rushdie's former bodyguard, Ron Evans, and Rushdie is PISSED. Her Majesty's Service apparently portrays Rushdie (or "Scruffy," as Evans claims Salman was nicknamed) as "mean, nasty, tightfisted, arrogant and extremely unpleasant" - basically, an all around d-bag. Rushdie was under police protection for nine years after the uptight peeps in Iran declared a fatwa on him for writing The Satanic Verses (awesome book, btw).

Instead of ignoring the "slanderous" book like most celebrities, Scruffy has decided to bring more attention to it by suing. I mean, I'm sure it has some exaggerations (or outright lies), but I think suing is probably a bad idea. I wouldn't have given this book a second look, and now I'm all, ooo, what's in there that Scruffy doesn't want me to see?

Don't get me wrong. I like Rushdie. He's a fantastic writer. And I met him once at a PEN World Voices thing and he seemed like a cool dude. He did have a runny nose though, so I probably would have named him Snuffly if I'd been in on the nickname giving, but hey, maybe that was the exception rather than the rule. Most importantly though, the man was married to Padma Lakshmi. As in former supermodel, hot Top Chef hostess, and probable stoner Padma Lakshmi. And really, if a dude that looks like Rushdie can get her, well, I just think he's probably not bad enough to be locked in a cupboard by his bodyguards.

--Ladytron

Randoms

Author Janet Evanovich is stuck wearing a hand brace after signing too many books. Maybe she should take tips from Shatner? Also, how do I get 1000 plus people to show up to my authors' events?

Ooo, also, on a completely unrelated note, Salman Rushdie was knighted! I bet Padma wishes she's stayed with him now. Then maybe she could be "Lady Lakshmi."

--LADYtron