Author: 'I would never intentionally' lift words

Kaavya Viswanathan, the 19-year-old Harvard sophomore who admitted reproducing numerous swatches of another writer's work in her debut novel, pleaded her case to Katie Couric on NBC's ''Today" program yesterday, insisting that the similarities were unintentional.

''As I was writing, I genuinely believed that every single word I was writing was my own," she said on the show.

Couric, who appeared skeptical, questioned the young author closely on how she could have unconsciously reproduced so many sentences from Megan McCafferty's novels ''Sloppy Firsts" and ''Second Helpings." Viswanathan, who was poised and calm throughout the interview, responded: ''All I can say is that, while reading Megan McCafferty's books, I just internalized her words. I never intended to take any of her words."

Viswanathan has not responded to numerous requests from the Globe for an interview.

Meanwhile, publisher Little, Brown & Co., said it will make no new printings of Viswanathan's book, ''How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," until it is revised to eliminate the similarities.

''We do believe Kaavya," Little, Brown publisher and senior vice president Michael Pietsch said late Tuesday in a statement. ''She has apologized publicly and profusely for any unintentional difficulties that may have come from her actions. . . . She will revise her novel to remove any inappropriate similarities, and we will reissue it with those changes at the earliest opportunity."

Despite acknowledging the similarities -- Crown, McCafferty's publisher, alleges there are at least 40 instances of plagiarism -- Little, Brown has made no move to withdraw the book, which was published this month with a first printing of 100,000 copies and is selling briskly. Crown has rejected Viswanathan's explanation, and both publishers have said their respective lawyers are in touch.

In the ''Today" interview, Viswanathan said she had read McCafferty's books three or four times in high school but said she did not bring them with her to college, where she wrote her novel.

''The last thing I ever wanted to do was cause distress to Megan McCafferty," she said. ''I have so much admiration and respect for her. I've been unable to contact her. All I want to do is tell her how profoundly sorry I am . . . and I just hope she believes I would never intentionally lift her words."

Viswanathan received a $500,000 advance for ''Opal Mehta" and a second book when she was 17, having just arrived at Harvard. A book packager was employed to help her devise and develop the plot, and shares the copyright with her. Viswanathan's agent and publisher have insisted that she did all of the writing.