Then there’s Nicholas Sparks – author of those dreadfully saccharine and syrupy stories where straight white people fall in love after overcoming horrific obstacles.  Last week, Broadway producers announced that they were doing a reading of a new musical based on The Notebook.  This has the potential of being a huge moneymaker for the author.  But not so fast.  The very next day, the former headmaster of the Christian school Sparks founded claimed that the author tried to ban LGBT clubs and protests.  In fact, the former headmaster is suing Sparks, stating that he “unapologetically marginalized, bullied, and harassed members of the school community whose religious views and/or identities did not conform to their religiously driven, bigoted preconceptions.”  What would one expect from Epiphany School?  Yes, that’s the name of the school.  And Sparks did found it, so it’s his way or the highway (likely not the highway to heaven).  In an e-mail, Sparks accused the headmaster of having “an agenda that strives to make homosexuality open and accepted”.  Lest you think his vitriol was limited to the gays, Nick also said the school had few minority students because they were “too poor and can’t do the academic work”. 

Once this story went public, Sparks did some fancy footwork via Twitter: “As someone who has spent the better part of my life as a writer who understands the power of words, I regret and apologize that mine have potentially hurt young people and members of the LGBTQ community, including my friends and colleagues in that community.”  Being Sparks, he goes on and on, but you get the gist.  In fact, the only thing he didn’t address was the racist accusations.  Anyhoo, the producers of the musical were satisfied, and said (in part), “We are encouraged that Mr. Sparks has made a strong statement of support of the LGBTQ+ community today.”  And, on with the show.