Beyond Babylon blacklisted by The Blade?
Imagine writing your very first book, informing your local
newspaper about its imminent publication, and then hearing
nothing from them. Imagine such famous newspapers as The Chicago
Tribune and The Washington Times giving your book advance
publicity and yet your local newspaper that claims to be "One of
America's Great Newspapers" remains deathly silent, no
encouragement, no support to help promote a local author.
Imagine then a smaller newspaper running an interview with you
about your book and controversial beliefs, reaching East Toledo
and many small Ohio towns. When I again wrote The Blade's
ombudsman, who allegedly deals with issues of fairness and
accuracy, questioning why The Blade had yet to review my book
when
The Press already reviewed Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and
Fall, wondering why The Blade didn't lead rather than
follow and he merely responds with, "What Press?" and nothing
more. I answered him both The Press and The Bowling Green Sentin
el-Tribune had run articles about Beyond Babylon and
didn't hear back from him.
Before my nam
e change from David A. Hoover to David Ben-Ariel, The
Blade graciously published my pro-Israel letters almost monthly
at times. Later when my staunch support of Israel, inspired by
my Christian-Zionist beliefs, clashed with their pro-PLO bias,
those published letters became fewer and far between, especially
after I called them to inform them that, unlike a caption under
a recent photo, and comments within various articles they ran,
that Judaism's holiest site wasn't the Western/Wailing Wall but
the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the fellow said the Temple Mount
was a Muslim holy site and controlled by the Wakf (a Muslim
board) and hung up! When I called right back and said regardless
that the Muslims occupied the Temple Mount, it is still
Judaism's holiest site, he hung up again! How UNprofessional for
"One of America's Great Newspapers"!
I'm sure after several unpleasant incidents like this,
especially when I publicized them in letters that appeared in
The Jerusalem Post worldwide, commenting how The Blade could
have easily verified what I said with any local rabbi or checked
out this information at Toledo's excellent main library (that is
in walking distance of their handsome building), they weren't
too happy with me. It's interesting to note that they didn't
have a single article about my unj
ust deportation from Israel (due to politico-religious
persecution), yet they had several about some area
"Palestinians" who were justly deported from the Jewish
homeland. The only mention of my harrowing experience was a
single letter-to-the-editor that made it in The Blade, even
though my case involved Ohio's Mar
cy Kaptur, Ohio Senators DeW
ine and Voinovich, the Jerusalem-based Temple Mount
Faithful and Israel's General Security Serices (their "FBI") and
Israel's High Court! Certainly newsworthy if only as a hum
an-interest story, wouldn't you say?
Recently I wrote the ombudsman Jack Lessenberry again, with a
carbon copy to the editor-in-chief Tom Walton. He responded
curtly that such reviews are usually done within the first six
months of publication and they didn't review self-published
books. I promptly responded both Publish America and I had
informed The Blade about the imminent publication of Beyond Babylon:
Europe's Rise and Fall, as well as later informing them
of its publication, and that since Beyond Babylon was NOT
self-published, when could I expect a review? He wrote that I
should contact the lady who is their book reviewer (without
including her e-mail address).
Today I called her, after not hearing from her in a week and a
half, to ask if she had received my information. Of course, she
had. She said she emailed me yesterday to contact the business
department. I told her Beyond Babylon wasn't really
business-related, but that it was politico-religious in nature.
I had already contacted The Blade religion editor without any
response, so she said that she doesn't normally review a book
unless it will be likely to become a best-seller. I asked her
how a book could become a best-seller without publicity? She
said to again contact Mr. Lessenberry, but she couldn't "force
him to review it." I told her I was disappointed in The Blade
and would hope that he wouldn't have to be "forced" to help
promote a local author.
What a run-around from "One of America's Great Newspapers"! At
the very least, looking at the bright side of such experiences,
various departments of The Blade are now well aware of Beyond
Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall and they've provided me with
this material for an article to share with readers worldwide,
which I've now done and you're one of them!