Why Is Daniel Handler Celebrating?

IS THIS THE FACE OF LEGACY PUBLISHING?
Daniel Handler is celebrating because he has "gotten over" on his careless, inadvertently revealing racist remarks at the National Book Awards last week. By making what for Handler was a token donation, to a token "diversity" organization-- "We Need Diverse Books"-- most of the New York-based literary and publishing establishments have rallied behind him. He's too rich and powerful for them to do otherwise.

I'm sure the folks at We Need Diverse Books are fine people. But it's also a virtually in-house organization which is unable to change anything about today's literary and publishing hierarchies. Its President, Ellen Oh, is herself published by HarperCollins. She's a graduate of New York University and a former corporate lawyer. As long as the awarded and promoted authors come from the most privileged schools in America-- and therefore from the more privileged classes in America-- literature will be a long way from representing a truly diverse and authentic presentation of the American people; the American voice.

Meanwhile, we've found the face of Big Five publishing, of establishment literature. It's Daniel Handler! Could a more stereotypical embodiment of white male arrogance and privilege be found?