Many readers expressed concern this week about a By the Book Q. and A. with Alice Walker.
Asked about the books on her nightstand, Ms. Walker, the author of βThe Color Purple,β mentioned βAnd the Truth Shall Set You Freeβ by David Icke, calling his works βa curious personβs dream come true.β
Readers were upset that we didnβt add context to Ms. Walkerβs endorsement of Mr. Icke, a British writer who has blamed the Holocaust on Jews and promoted conspiracy theories about shape-shifting lizards that many consider anti-Semitic.
βBy allowing Walker to recommend it to readers, you gave her and the book a forum to disseminate hate,β Marc Gary of New York wrote in a message to the newsroomβs Reader Center. βThe Times is better than this. At least provide a corrective by informing readers about the anti-Semitic nature of the book.β
In an interview, Pamela Paul, the editor of The Book Review, explained how we select subjects for By the Book, a weekly feature; how we conduct and edit the interviews; and why we featured Ms. Walker. The questions were drawn from reader feedback.
Why did you choose Alice Walker for this column?
The editor of By the Book chose her because this column was for a thematic Book Review issue on poetry and politics. She is both a poet and someone known to be very political in her work.
When picking people for By the Book, what considerations go into their backgrounds?
We consider all parts of their backgrounds because we want to get a wide range of authors and other public figures. Weβve included everyone from musicians to politicians to actors.
How is the By the Book interview conducted?
Itβs always conducted via email. We send a group of about 18 to 25 questions. Some are consistent across all interviews, and others change depending on the person. The directions are to answer as many questions as the person would like, within a suggested length of 950 to 1,500 words, though writers are free to write as much as they like.
Unlike other Q. and A.s by The Times and other publications, we never condense the answers. We run the interview in full online. In print we edit for space by removing entire questions. The idea is that because itβs an email interview, we want to represent the personβs written answers in full.
Do you ever ask follow-up questions?
Back when I was editing By the Book, the only time I went back for more questions was if the person didnβt answer enough to fill the page. The column is a Q. and A. about the subjects and their reading life, not simply a list of recommendations; itβs not a regular phone or in-person interview where you would follow up with questions about their answers.
We never question people on their choices by asking, βWhy would you choose this book?β or βWhy didnβt you like this book?β The peopleβs answers are a reflection of their opinions, tastes and judgment. As with any interview, their words tell us something about them.
The intention for By the Book is to be a portrait of someone through his or her reading life. What people choose to read or not read and what books they find to be influential or meaningful say a lot about who they are.
Did you consider going back to Ms. Walker to ask about Mr. Ickeβs book?
No. When we interview anyone, whether itβs a public official or a foreign leader or an artist, The Times isnβt saying that we approve of the personβs views and actions. Weβre saying we think the subject is worthy of interviewing; thatβs our approach with By the Book.
One thing that I think makes By the Book distinctive is that we are not guiding people to answer questions in a way that reflects our views as editors. Weβve also faced criticism when a writer only named white authors, or male authors. My response to that is the same as in this case: Does that answer tell you something about the subject? I think it does, and now readers know it because weβve informed you.
Just as a reporter wouldnβt direct a senator to answer a question differently, we donβt direct intervieweesβ answers in By the Book.
Is there ever an instance when you would disclose something sensitive about an intervieweeβs background or provide more context?
Never. By the Book always runs with a note about the subjectβs latest book if the person is an author or about his or her latest work or public endeavor if not, along with a quote from the interview. Thereβs no other introduction or afterword.
If someone mentioned a favorite novel that we thought was terrible, we wouldnβt include a note saying, βActually, that book is awful.β Likewise, we would never add that a book is factually inaccurate, or that the author is a serial predator, or any kind of judgment on the work or the writer. We do not issue a verdict on peopleβs opinions.
Given The Timesβs large platform, are there any beliefs that we shouldnβt allow people to espouse?
If people espouse beliefs that anyone at The Times finds to be dangerous or immoral, itβs important for readers to be aware that they hold those beliefs. The public deserves to know. Thatβs news.
Do we have standards for what, if anything, we wouldnβt include?
By the Book has to be factually accurate and conform to Times style. We check to make sure the interviewee has spelled the name of the author correctly and gotten the title accurately, but we do not investigate the accuracy or assess the quality of the books mentioned.
In retrospect, would you have done anything differently with the column by Ms. Walker?
No. Readers have certainly learned something about the author and her tastes and opinions. I think itβs worthwhile information for them to know.
Our readers are intelligent and discerning. We trust them to sift through something that someone says in an interview, whether itβs the president or a musician or a person accused of sexual harassment, and to judge for themselves: Do I agree with this person?
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