McEwan Denied Entry, Temporarily

As you may have heard from earlier mentions both at Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind and the Literary Saloon, Ian McEwan was denied entry into the U.S. It’s unclear what the problem was, but my guess would be that even if he’s been entering the U.S. without a visa for thirty years, there’s this nifty little concept of “discretionary power.” If the immigration officer asks you whether you’re here for work or for pleasure, and you answer “work” you have to have a visa. Usually, when you have an EU passport, they don’t even look twice, but poor Ian McEwan must not have even been aware of the rule since it’s never applied to him. I’ve heard of similar stories (Australian journalists being deported, etc.) Anyway, McEwan is going to be here in Portland, and if I can get tickets I will check it out and report back.