Classical Blackface

Publishers Weekly announces a new joint initiative between Penguin Random House and Barnes and Noble that's sure to shape the future of publishing.

A collection of classic books with new culturally diverse covers will make their debut at New York City’s largest bookstore.

To kick off Black History Month, Penguin Random House and Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue is partnering up to give twelve classic young adult novels new covers, known as “Diverse Editions.” The books will hit the shelves on Feb. 5, and Barnes & Noble Fifth Avenue will have the books on display in their massive storefront throughout the month of February.

The following books will be on display with their Diverse Edition covers:

• Alice in Wonderland

• Romeo and Juliet

• 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

• Frankenstein

Each title had five culturally diverse custom covers designed to ensure the recognition, representation, and inclusion of various multiethnic backgrounds reflected across the country. The new covers are a part of a new initiative to champion diversity in literature.

Clearly, the business savvy experts at Penguin House and B&N are hoping to replicate Disney's success with diversifying that other literary classic A Wrinkle in Time.

Everybody knows what's really going on here. The Death Cultists who run oldpub are launching another orgy of iconoclasm against the false idols that might tempt true believers to seek truth and beauty instead of nihilism. A book's cover is 80% of buy decision. Plastering great works of Western civilization with blaxploitation movie covers is a great way to confuse people out of reading them.

No cult can exist without a satanic foil, and the Death Cult has fixated on the white devil. Unfortunately, the rank and file of the Cult didn't get the fatwa their high priests issued.

She's right. This editor would tweak it to "Classical Blackface" for the assonance.

If this debacle is any indication of future results, James Daunt's much-touted resuscitation of Barnes and Noble looks to be DOA. Giving each store in the chain the freedom to operate like an indie doesn't help if those stores are independently run by delirious witches.

Stock tip: Sell B&N and invest in popcorn futures.

And as always, don't give money to people who hate you. New book on that coming soon!

In the meantime, buy books whose covers accurately reflect the fun inside--like my mind-blowing Soul Cycle!