Barnes & Noble's Diverse Editions Controversy

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$TBWA\Chiat\Day\New York classic books POC TREASURE ISLAND FRANKENSTEIN THE SECRET GARDEN Romeo JULIET TREASURE ISLAND Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Moby Dick Alice's Adventures THE SECRET GARDEN$

Category: Event Status: Submission Year: 2020 Origin: Twitter Region:

Type: Controversy

Tags: book covers black history month bookstore edition classics diversity the count of monte cristo the count of monte cristo romeo and juliet the three musketeers the secret garden dr. jekyll and mr. hyde the wizard of oz peter pan frankenstein

$TBWA\Chiat\Day\New York classic books POC TREASURE ISLAND FRANKENSTEIN THE SECRET GARDEN Romeo JULIET TREASURE ISLAND Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Moby Dick Alice's Adventures THE SECRET GARDEN$

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$JOYCON BOYZ Etika © TBWIA Chiat\Day$

Absolutely No one: Barnes and Noble: ro STOP THIS MUTHA TAKES ONE BAD BRUT HA WIL LEVEY'S CMCMENSTEN

When thought Barnes & Nobles was going to happen when they put black people on covers of classic literature: We did it. Racism is no more What it actually feels like: USA TOD OPIN KAPWING

Publishers Weekly O @PublishersWkly Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue to launch sales of classic novels with new covers promoting diversity @amNewYork pwne.ws/2GU1JN2 4- THE SECRET TREASURE ISLAND GARDEN FRANKENSTEIN ROMEO hcahintans moBy JULIET TREASURE ISLAND THE SECRET GARDEN 6:00 PM - Feb 4, 2020 - Buffer 625 Retweets 2.1K Likes The following books will be on display with their Diverse Edition covers: • Alice in Wonderland • Romeo and Juliet • Three Musketeers • Moby D--- • The Secret Garden • The Count of Monte Cristo • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde • Emma • The Wizard of Oz • Peter Pan • Treasure Island • Frankenstein CHAPTER 5 [t was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the Iaccomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that al- most amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lus- trous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips. The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate 58 FRANKENSTEIN

* mina TM @minareadss Imagine if instead of performative inclusivity, barnes and noble promoted underrated classics by poc? Or retellings of classics by contemporary authors of color? 8:57 AM · Feb 5, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone

Overview • Background • Spread • Examples •

Category: Event Status: Submission Year: 2020 Origin: Twitter Region:

Type: Controversy

Overview

Barnes & Noble's Diverse Editions Controversy refers to a line of book covers for twelve classic young adult novels released by the bookstore chain Barnes and Noble in February 2020 for Black History Month. The book covers were aimed at promoting representation but many commentators on Twitter criticized the editions for merely changing the ethnicity of the characters on the cover of white authors' books rather than promoting writers who are people of color.

Background

On February 4th, 2020, PublishersWeekly announced on Twitter^[1] that "Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue to launch sales of classic novels with new covers promoting diversity" attaching an AM New York^[2] article which explains that there will be new "diverse custom covers" for Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, The Three Musketeers, Moby Dick, The Secret Garden, The Count of Monte Cristo, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Emma, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, Treasure Island and Frankenstein. The tweet gained over 1,800 likes and 540 retweets in a day (shown below).

RW Publishers Weekly @PublishersWkly Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue to launch sales of classic novels with new covers promoting diversity @amNewYork pwne.ws/2GU1]N2 ROBE TREASURE ISLAND FOMEO FRANKENSTEIN THE SECRET -WONDERFUL WZARDOZ GARDEN JULJET TREASURE ISLAND DAEKYL 6:00 PM · Feb 4, 2020 · Buffer HERHAN ILLE moBy Alice's Alventares Walery THE SECRET GARDEN

Spread

On February, 4th, 2020, Twitter user @BCMorrow^[3] commented on the news by tweeting, "Barnes & Noble was like, well if Netflix can change the thumbnail to show the Black extra in the background of a show they want you to watch…" (shown below). The tweet garnered over 3,700 likes and 400 retweets in a day.

Bethany C. Morrow @BCMorrow Barnes & Noble was like, well if Netflix can change the thumbnail to show the Black extra in the background of a show they want you to watch... 9:28 PM · Feb 4, 2020 · Twitter Web Client

The next day, @michael_deforge^[4] tweeted a screenshot of an article claiming that AI chose the book titles for these editions and captioned it "this is an underrated bit of awfulness from the Barnes and Noble book covers thing" (shown below, left). That same day, Twitter user @Filq2001^[5] tweeted a Well boys, we did it meme captioned, "Barnes and Noble: *Changes the race of the characters on the covers. Barnes and Noble:" (shown below, right).