Shane Jones

Dave Eggers doesn’t give a shit about Kate Losse, the author who recently accused Eggers of plagiarizing her book, The Boy Kings, for his new novel, The Circle—nor should he. Authors accusing and being accused of plagiarism is nothing new, and to the world outside of publishing, it’s a minor scandal. There’s nothing Miley about a white nerd calling out another white nerd. Still, Losse’s claim is somehow damaging to Eggers, even though it is a weak one. She writes, “From all appearances, it is an unnervingly similar book, and I wrote it first,” later admitting that she hasn’t even read the book—The Circle comes out today—and basing her accusations on an excerpt only. Losse’s claim, her name, and her book, will no doubt fall from public eye quickly, while Eggers zips around the country on his book tour and collects both cash and accolades, which all now come with the specter of Losse, if only because both Dave Eggers the guy and Dave Eggers the brand had to publicly refute the charges, going so far as to say he had no idea Losse’s book existed: