In our September issue, we ran a story about the book by Tom Connor and Jim Downey,Martha Stuart’s Better Than You at Entertaining. The book was featured as a parody of the work of stylist, Martha Stewart. It also featured several anti-Catholic pictures and commentaries.
Reading the last page of the book led us to believe that the book had the blessings of the real Martha Stewart. But we were wrong. The league was contacted by Allyn Magrino, publicist for Martha Stewart, asking that we clear Stewart’s name. We asked for a statement from Martha Stewart and promised to publish it in Catalyst. It is printed below:
“Neither I nor anyone on the staff of Martha Stewart Living (including stylists, photographers, writers, editors) worked on the concept, production, or publishing of the parody Martha Stuart’s Better Than You at Entertaining. I did not lend my name to this project, was not consulted regarding its content, nor was I advised in advance that it was being developed in a second year in a row.
I have never ridiculed Catholicism or any religion in my books, weekly television show, monthly magazine or Christmas special. My office is very active working with charities of all denominations and contributing to the community in which we work and throughout the United States and Canada.
My books are published by Random House, Clarkson Potter/Crown and Oxmoor House, Inc. and Leisure Arts. I do not work with HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. which published the parody.
I apologize for the obvious concern this matter has caused Catalystreaders, but I have no control over what is written about me or parodies done regarding my work.”
We are grateful to Martha Stewart for this clarification and regret misidentifying her with the parody. We conveyed our apologies to her through her publicist.
