Jennifer Howard

My kids had a lemonade stand a couple of weeks ago. They made a little money—enough to clear a profit and pad their piggybanks a little. Neighbors and passers-by stopped to chat and have a cup of lemonade and a freshly baked gingersnap. It was a pleasant scene—who doesn’t love lemonade on a hot day, especially when it’s peddled by two cute kids?—and it left us feeling pretty good about the neighborhood and about humanity in general. The willingness of people to support junior entrepreneurialism is truly nice to see. I mention this because I’ve been writing a lot about… Read more...

Details and some congressional crowing here. (Note to Rep. Cohen’s office: Proofread the website headlines a little more closely.) Publishers and authors cheer. I did a long analysis for the Chronicle back in June on the subject of libel tourism, and it’s good to see some legislative attention being paid to the issue. Now, back to that pesky economic crisis…. Read more...

I’ve done a news analysis on the subject for the Chronicle. Some takeaways: Yes, Britain is as wacky about libel law as you’ve heard. No, the rest of the world does not agree that the First Amendment is the Best Thing Ever. And the unlikely heroes of the story? Librarians…. Read more...

Threatened with a libel lawsuit over a review in Art Journal, its flagship publication, the College Art Association decided to settle rather than duke it out in British court. Libel law in the U.K. notoriously favors plaintiffs. Hence so-called libel tourism, in which plaintiffs file suit in Britain or other countries where, sans a First Amendment, the laws favor them. The costs can be punishingly high for defendants. Was the association’s decision to settle a wise move or, as the author of the review in question put it, “a cowardly act”?… Read more...