Author James Patterson has apologized for recent remarks in which he claimed that white male writers who struggle to find work are victims of “another form of racism.”
“I apologize for saying white male writers having trouble finding work is a form of racism. I absolutely do not believe that racism is practiced against white writers. Please know that I strongly support a diversity of voices being heard—in literature, in Hollywood, everywhere,” Patterson said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Patterson’s comments from an interview with The Times UK went viral Monday after he said it is becoming much harder for white male writers of a certain age to find opportunities, despite Patterson himself being one of the world’s best selling authors.
“Can you get a job? Yes. Is it harder? Yes. It’s even harder for older writers. You don’t meet many 52-year-old white males,” he previously said. And elsewhere in the interview he said he defended free speech and disapproved of those at his publisher who walked out in protest of the publication of Woody Allen’s recent memoir.
“I hated that,” he said. “He has the right to tell his own story,” he said, explaining that he disapproves of actors or public figures speaking ignorantly about subjects gleaned from the internet. “Do I know what went on between Allen and the Farrows? Nope. And neither do you.”
One of his most recent titles, “Run, Rose, Run,” which he co-wrote with Dolly Parton, hit the New York Times Best Sellers list, and it was also recently acquired by Sony to be turned into a film that will also star Parton. Patterson also has the book “Woman’s Murder Mystery” on the NYT Best Sellers list with his regular co-writer Maxine Paetro.