MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
June 21- June 28, 2006 Edition
Kensington Cancels
Female POWs Story,
S&S to Publish Instead
NEW YORK, NY/6/20/07-Simon & Schuster has purchased the story of Shoshana Johnson, American’s first black female prisoner of war in Iraq, after Kensington Publishing cancelled Johnson’s book contract for what was to be titled I’m Still Standing. Kensington apparently voided the contract because of Johnson’s failure to get appropriate photo releases. However, Johnson has been quoted in the media as saying that Kensington wanted a more religious take on the book and wanted to include personal conversations with fellow POWs, both of which she did not want to do. Johnson has since reached an amicable agreement with Kensington.
Simon & Schuster plans to re-title the book and release it in 2008. Editor Sulay Hernandez acquired the project for S&S. The work was originally acquired at Kensington by former Karen Thompson, who is now an executive editor at Grand Central Publishing. The story follows Johnson’s personal account of war from a soldier’s point of view, and portrays her faith in humanity.
Johnson was a Specialist in the U.S. Army 507th Maintenance Company, 5/52 ADA BN, 11th ADA Brigade. She suffered bullet wounds in both ankles, was captured and held a prisoner in Iraq for 22 days along with four other members of her unit She was freed in a rescue mission conducted by the U.S. Marines on April 13, 2003.
