Penguin Random House Suspends Publication of Ross Barkan's Book Amid Plagiarism Allegations
Penguin Random House has suspended the sales and promotion of journalist Ross Barkan's forthcoming book, "The Revolutionary: Zohran Mamdani and the Remaking of American Politics." This decision follows allegations of extensive plagiarism in Barkan's columns for New York Magazine. The book, which was originally slated for an October release, is no longer available for purchase on major retail websites such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart. New York Magazine recently terminated Barkan's column after an independent editorial review concluded that 67 of his articles failed to meet the publication's standards for proper attribution. Barkan's relationship with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the subject of the biography, dates back to 2018 when Mamdani managed Barkan's unsuccessful campaign for the New York State Senate. Barkan has since stated that he should have been more careful with citations and apologized for the errors, indicating he will be writing a new column for The Nation. 
