Hitchens scheduled to break Borders pledge

banquo

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At the 2007 Atheist Alliance International Convention (video readily available online), Christopher Hitchens condemned Borders bookstores for pulling from its stores the magazine Free Inquiry because it reprinted the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. “I told my publishers,” he said, “I’m not doing a single event at Borders ever again. And I never will.”

I just learned that Mr. Hitchens is scheduled for a book signing at a Borders in San Francisco on June 24, three days from now. There’s still time to urge him to observe his vow, or at least, to explain himself. Does anyone know how to reach him? (Other than his publisher, in whose interest it would be for him to remain forgetful.)
 
banquo said:
At the 2007 Atheist Alliance International Convention (video readily available online), Christopher Hitchens condemned Borders bookstores for pulling from its stores the magazine Free Inquiry because it reprinted the Danish cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. “I told my publishers,” he said, “I’m not doing a single event at Borders ever again. And I never will.”

I just learned that Mr. Hitchens is scheduled for a book signing at a Borders in San Francisco on June 24, three days from now. There’s still time to urge him to observe his vow, or at least, to explain himself. Does anyone know how to reach him? (Other than his publisher, in whose interest it would be for him to remain forgetful.)
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Didn't he correct the mistake? I though he found out later that it was Barnes and Nobles and not Borders, but I may have that backward.
 
Ichneumonwasp said:
Didn't he correct the mistake? I though he found out later that it was Barnes and Nobles and not Borders, but I may have that backward.
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Both Barnes and Noble and Borders pulled free inquiry because of the danish cartoons.

so it hardly matters does it
:p
 
Marduk said:
Both Barnes and Noble and Borders pulled free inquiry because of the danish cartoons.

so it hardly matters does it
:p
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Guess not if they both did. I thought I remembered from that talk that he initially said Borders but someone from the audience corrected him -- that he was really mad at B&N. But I guess it's a moot point.


Wonder how much he's had to drink today?
 
Wowbagger said:
Why should we expect Christopher Hitchens to hold onto any of his ideological principles?!
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One can critisize Hitch for a lot of things but a lack of strong principles is not one of them.

Yes, he's changed his political positions in his 60 years of life but who hasn't?
 
Ichneumonwasp said:
Guess not if they both did. I thought I remembered from that talk that he initially said Borders but someone from the audience corrected him -- that he was really mad at B&N.
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It's the other way around -- he initially said B&N but was corrected that it was Borders. I'm unaware of B&N having pulled the magazine, but Borders definitely did. Yes, his ideology has evolved through his life, as have many of ours. But this is a relatively recent mention within a frame he purports to maintain, and is reasonable to call him on.
 
Undesired Walrus said:
The defence of Hitchens here borders (ho ho) on hero worship sometimes.
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Yeah I sort of agree. But I've changed my mind about a lot of things. Hitchins has moved from far left to rightish over his life. Changing his mind about Borders is not a big deal IMO.
 
banquo said:
It's the other way around -- he initially said B&N but was corrected that it was Borders. I'm unaware of B&N having pulled the magazine, but Borders definitely did. Yes, his ideology has evolved through his life, as have many of ours. But this is a relatively recent mention within a frame he purports to maintain, and is reasonable to call him on.
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Thanks. I was afraid I had it backwards and I did. It's been a while since I last heard/saw that talk.

Kinda disappointing I guess, but he's got a book to sell..............
 
deleted on mo careful reding.:blush:
 
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Undesired Walrus said:
The defence of Hitchens here borders (ho ho) on hero worship sometimes.
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It seems to me that the guy was first called amoral then called a drunk. I prefer my defenders a bit more defend-y than that.

This guy is an atheist Pat Buchanan. He says idiotic things in a loud voice and shocks people, so the right likes having him on television. He enjoys the notoriety it seems, so both sides are happy.
 
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