Posted By susanharrow on August 30, 2006

I came across an interesting op-ed piece by a noted Russian columnist on the confession by Pulitzer Prize Winning Gunter Grass’ statement that he had served in the Waffen SS in 1945.

Even in this day and age, this astounding confession is disturbing especially in light of his anti-facist novel ‘The Tin Drum‘. What’s just as bothersome is it is seemingly tied (as the columnist opined) to the notion that Grass made this confession at the same time his publisher is hoping for big sales with his book ‘Peeling the Onion’. The ploy, if indeed it is one, worked. 120,000 of the 160,000 books printed have sold in a mere few days and the publisher has gone back to print another 60,000.

Salman Rushdie has come to his defense, but I wonder if there’s a deeper point that should be examined about why despite the confession the book is selling out?

Is it because confessionalism fuels curiosity? Will more authors and others celebrated in the press be tempted to dig about in their past for some salacious tidbit to help them promote an upcoming book or movie or whatever?

Category: Book Publicity & Marketing, Publicity
Tags: confession, Gunter Grass, Peeling the Onion