“It’s so terrible and so absurd. Absurd that I did certain things, yes. Also absurd that Caitlin is in a position that I have given her, and from that position accuses me of things she herself has participated in. It is even more absurd that she is therefore called ‘brave’.’
These are the words of a powerful editor of a prestigious publishing house who is accused of transgressive behavior by a former employee. Sounds familiar?
It is a special, sometimes bitter form of publisher’s happiness: when a book, after months of preparation, suddenly connects seamlessly with current events when it is published. In 2019, the American writer and essayist Mary Gaitskill published a short novel about abuses in the New York publishing world. Now the Dutch translation by Ineke van den Elskamp (Cossee; € 19.99) appears – almost simultaneously with the essay by Ronit Palache and the research into the culture of fear at the publisher Prometheus in de Volkskrant†
For clarity: This is lust deals with a different kind of misconduct than Mai Spijkers’ bully. Main character Quin is a big flirt, who teases and teases his young female colleagues and pushes their limits. He comments on their appearance, asks how they prefer to masturbate and, if possible, places a hand on the chest or buttocks. He never thought that these friends – because that’s how he sees them – would betray him for that reason.
What makes the book so relevant, also for the situation surrounding Prometheus, is that Gaitskill shows very subtly what such a public accusation elicits from bystanders. Certainly in the small literary world, camps soon arise, traitors are identified, friendships broken. Everyone has to confess, at least for themselves: where am I, can I accept this from someone? And if not, then what?
Gaitskill describes this struggle through the eyes of Margot, a close friend and former colleague of Quin. She remains faithful to him, with mixed feelings. She is angry with him, but also with the women who turn against him. Couldn’t they have stood up for themselves, as she did? Isn’t his villainous, provocative side what makes him so much fun? Why is he so good at his job? Or is she now talking good which is not good to talk about?
So far, only author Emy Koopman has resigned from Prometheus. A handful of faithful immediately rallied noisily on the side of Mai Spijkers. The majority, at least in public, remain remarkably quiet. read This is lust and you get an idea why.