A.J. Jacobs considers–and rejects–the idea of suing Joe Queenan over a bad book review.
But then I remembered what I had learned in the encyclopedia: James McNeill Whistler tried this tactic, and it ended pretty badly. He filed a libel suit in 1878 after the critic John Ruskin called him a ”coxcomb” and denounced his painting ”Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket.” Whistler won a token judgment of a farthing — but the cost of the case bankrupted him. So no lawsuits from me. And at least I wasn’t called a coxcomb.
{ 1 comment }
learning from Abe’s thick skin
Lately, I’ve been far too affected by negative comments and misconstrued positions –
Comments on this entry are closed.