Texts from Bennett
| Company type | Blog, Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Publishing |
| Founder | Mac Lethal (David McCleary Sheldon) |
| Products | Blog, Novel ("Texts from Bennett") |
Texts from Bennett is a blog created by Mac Lethal (David McCleary Sheldon), featuring text message exchanges between Lethal and his so-called "cousin" Bennett.[1]
Website
According to a 2011 report by Gawker, the Tumblr blog displays iPhone screenshots of text message conversations between Lethal and Bennett, a 17-year-old who "believes he is a Crip, works at Amoco, has a girlfriend named Mercedes, and is among the most unintentionally humorous and insightful individuals around."[2] Despite The Smoking Gun's assertion that Bennett is a fictional character,[3] Lethal affirmed its genuineness in an interview with The Huffington Post, stating, "[The Smoking Gun story] is absolutely 100 percent inaccurate."[4]
Book publication
The novel Texts from Bennett was published on September 3, 2013.[5] In May 2012, the book proposal was acquired by Gallery Books, an imprint under Simon & Schuster, through Lethal's representation by William Morris Endeavor.[6][7]
Based on the widely followed Tumblr blog, the novel is characterized as "[a] family story for the twenty-first century," portraying the year when Bennett and his dependent family moved into Mac's home.[5] Lethal described it as "an ode to how I met my wife and it's a love story."[8]
Texts from Bennett was selected as a Library Journal "pick of the month" in the category of "African American Fiction." Reviewer Rollie Welch commended its authentic depiction of poverty, substance abuse, and working-class challenges with "serious street cred," while also noting that "lengthy sidebars drag down the story."[9]
The American Library Association's Booklist described it as a "well-intentioned, though somewhat uneven, debut novel... the heart of the novel is pure." Reviewer Mark Eleveld highlighted its sensitive treatment of difficult topics while examining poor white teenagers adopting elements of black cultural identity.[10]
TV series
FX secured the rights on November 4, 2013, to adapt Texts From Bennett into a television series, thereby extending the franchise into the realm of TV entertainment.
External links
- ↑ Hagni, Jonna (August 8, 2013). "Coming soon — Texts from Bennett, A Novel". Vox Talk. Vox.
- ↑ "The Nerdy White Rapper Who Launched Two Internet Sensations in 24 Hours". Gawker. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ "Sorry, There Is No Actual 17-Year-Old Named Bennett Writing Those Purported "Texts From Bennett"". The Smoking Gun. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ McCormack, Simon (2 December 2011). "Texts From Bennett: Mac Lethal Speaks About His Internet Sensations". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lethal, Mac (3 September 2013). Amazon.com. ISBN 978-1476706870.
- ↑ "Today in Blog-to-Book Deals: 'Slice Harvester' Memoir, 'Texts From Bennett' the Novel". New York Observer. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
- ↑ Kangas, Chaz. "Mac Lethal Brings Texts From Bennett to Bookshelves". Village Voice. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013.
- ↑ Casciato, Cory (2013-08-30). "Mac Lethal on turning his Texts from Bennett Tumblr into a novel". Westword.
- ↑ Welch, Rollie (2013-08-19). "Relationship Talk | African American Fiction (and More)". Library Journal.
- ↑ Eleveld, Mark. Texts from Bennet [sic]. Booklist.