Scholz said exactly the right thing about J. D. Vance's book
The Berliner Ullstein-Publishing House has dropped "Hillbilly-Elegies" by J. D. Vance from its program. That's a mistake. Publishers should trust their readership to interpret a non-fictional work in the light of the times.
Books do make us wiser. Olaf Scholz, who enjoys smoking and has a literary taste, attests to this. In mid-July 2023, the Chancellor gushed in an interview with the "Süddeutsche Zeitung" about a non-fictional work that moved him to tears. It tells the story of how a white American from the underclass, the "white trash," managed to fulfill the dream of financial and social ascendancy despite miserable starting conditions.
"It has also helped me sharpen my understanding of what is important for a modern, progressive, I would say social democratic politics in the 21st century: All those who work, strive, and keep the shop running must remain relevant. They must have the prospect of a good future for themselves and their children and deserve respect," Scholz said. Literary critics also praised the autobiography, which was published in German in 2017, a year after the English version, and became a bestseller. "A compelling, moving, wise book," wrote "Der Spiegel." The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" ruled: "Anyone who wants to understand America and its problems better must have read 'Hillbilly-Elegies.'"
Everything is correct. The book is powerful, especially since it has literary quality and is well-translated. The author is J. D. Vance, who has transformed from a Trump critic to a Trump loyalist since his manuscript was published. After Trump suggested Vance as a vice-presidential candidate, "Hillbilly Elegy" (approximately "Backwoods Elegy") once again became a worldwide bestseller. People want to understand why populist politicians, who promise to take the blue sky away, are successful and how someone went from a moderate conservative to a right-wing extremist with radical rhetoric.
After Trump's decision to nominate Vance as his running mate, the book was quickly sold out in Germany. Normally, that's great news for publishers. However, Ullstein could not and did not want to reprint "Hillbilly Elegy," but instead relinquished the license and dropped the author from its program. The reason given was: "At the time of its publication, the book made a valuable contribution to understanding the drift apart of American society." At that time, Vance had distanced himself from Trump. "Now he officially acts on his side and promotes an aggressively demagogic, exclusionary policy."
Reaction from the right-wing camp
The political camp between conservative and far-right immediately foamed at the mouth and spoke of "Cancel Culture," about which one can argue quite well. Every publisher, a privately managed one in particular, has the right to publish what it wants. Freedom of opinion, as well as entrepreneurial freedom, exist. Vance is not being ostracized and excluded, but has found a new home in Germany with the YES publishing house right away. And from the meager earnings from the German book market, the Republican is guaranteed not to become dependent and therefore have to return to the "Rust Belt," the deindustrialized region where those dependent US citizens live who helped elect Trump to the presidency.
It is unfortunate that Ullstein's behavior is still the case. The publisher does not distinguish between the artist and their art, the author and the content of their work. There were no sudden discoveries of hidden messages in "Hillbilly Elegy" that make the autobiography appear in completely new light. The world knew that Vance had become a Republican extremist at least since 2022, when Trump helped him in the campaign. Vance won and has represented the state of Ohio in the US Senate since January 2023. "J.D. kisses my ass, he wants my support so much," joked the former President about his protege, who didn't even shrink back from telling the story of the "stolen election" to curry favor with his master.
Vance's Report Does Not Sacrifice Truth or Authenticity
Above all, it's unfortunate that Ullstein doesn't trust its audience to read and interpret the report by Vance in the light of developments. Vance's report does not sacrifice truth or authenticity because the author is now a radical Trumpist. The publisher should have considered Scholz's interview in the "Süddeutsche" before making its decision. The Chancellor said there exactly what was right. The interviewers wanted to know: "Do you look at the political alignment of the author while reading?" The Social Democrat answered: "No, quite the opposite, I'm attracted to the new and unknown. If I only read what corresponds to my opinion, I would miss the real adventure of reading."
Scholz lamented Vance's political career, calling it a "tragedy," but focused on the content and the consequences for his own political work. The Social Democrat said: "As a craftsman, as a garbage collector, as a nurse or policewoman, one can lead a very fulfilling and good life. But if respect for these professions is lost, if they feel they no longer matter in society, Trumpism threatens." (Whether Scholz implemented his insights in politics or not is irrelevant here.)
The criticism against Ullstein now is that it gave Vance premature obedience to stifle discussion in its infancy. If that was the case - there had been no public outcry yet, but perhaps the first protest emails had started to come in - it would not only be a problem for Ullstein, but for the entire society. A publisher that has to be afraid of getting embroiled in a damaging scandal in its business dealings is only limited in its freedom to make decisions.
Culture of Intolerance at Piper Verlag
Recently, Piper Verlag has had to experience the consequences of this intolerant culture, as there have been calls for a boycott of the publisher regarding Monika Gruber's book. A left-wing activist, whom the Bavarian cabaret artist made fun of - rather lamely - felt racially attacked. It was absurd that a house like Piper, the publisher of Hannah Arendt and Ingeborg Bachmann, had to declare its stance for 'freedom of opinion and tolerance.'
No publisher is obligated to publish a specific book. No one is obligated to read a specific book. But it would be nice if all those who still find joy in literature would take an example from Olaf Scholz and distinguish between the author and the work.
- Despite Ullstein's decision to drop "Hillbilly-Elegies" by J. D. Vance, the book continues to garner attention in the United States Presidential Election 2024 context, as Donald Trump, a prominent figure in the election, suggested Vance as a potential vice-presidential candidate.
- In the United States of America, the book trade has been influenced by the political alignment of authors, as seen in the case of J. D. Vance, who transformed from a Trump critic to a Trump loyalist, impacting the sales and distribution of his book.
- The Book trade in the United States of America has faced criticisms of intolerance towards certain authors and their works, as seen in the case of Monika Gruber and Piper Verlag, where a left-wing activist felt racially attacked, leading to calls for a boycott, highlighting the need for distinction between the author and the work.
