Philip Roth’s Open Letter to Wikipedia

In a September 7th posting on the blog of The New Yorker, Philip Roth contributes “An Open Letter to Wikipedia,” pointing out incorrect information posted in The Human Stain entry found on the popular web-based resource. In particular, Roth notes the inaccuracy of the Anatole Broyard reference regarding the creation of his 2000 novel:

“The entry contains a serious misstatement that I would like to ask to have removed. This item entered Wikipedia not from the world of truthfulness but from the babble of literary gossip—there is no truth in it at all.”

Roth goes on to clarify that the events surrounding Coleman Silk’s dilemma were actually inspired by the circumstances of his late friend, Melvin Tumin, a longtime professor of sociology at Princeton.

Readers of Roth’s “Open Letter” go on to comment on his assumptions of Wikipedia and accuse him of not understanding the medium.

For Roth’s complete letter, visit The New Yorker blog.