Hatrack River Writers Workshop: James Frey: Fact or Fiction

This is topic James Frey: Fact or Fiction in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :

Now that Frey is on the confession/denial circuit, instead of the Oprah Book Club round up, I was wondering, have any of you read his "memoir?"

My wife read it and loved it. And she wasn't all that freaked out when it became known that he fabricated some of it.

I was about to read it, but now I get kind of sick when I think about it.

We live in a world where ghostwriters pen books for Nicole Richie and Ivana Trump. Does anyone question their authenticity? Does anyone care?

Are we mad at Frey for lying (which he did) or are we envious of his success? For me, it’s both I guess.

And if you have no idea what I’m talking about here’s a linky-poo.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/jamesfrey/0104061jamesfrey1.html

Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :

I feel nothing but pity for anyone who believes that any autobiography is purely factual.

Embellishment is an autobiographer's perogative.

Posted by Beth (Member # 2192) on :

I read the first chapter and got annoyed by the capitalization and didn't read on.

Not only did he make up a lot of it (complete fabrications, not just exaggerations), but there are now allegations that he plagiarized bunches of it from a book called Another Day in Paradise.

Posted by ChrisOwens (Member # 1955) on :

I never heard of it until this week. A non-fiction book about everyday life would've put me off anyway. Even now, when it's revealed to be fiction, it's mainstream nature is offputting. Anyway, I know real people who have reformed, why do I need to read a book about it?

I've never checked the Oprah Book Club for recommendations. What SF&F books are on her list?

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Never saw or heard of it until this plagiarism / exaggeration story broke...somewhat unusually, I think, because I usually notice when Oprah deals us another one, even though I don't watch her show or read her choices.

Can't recall any overt SF or fantasy on her list, but I certainly don't have a copy of it. Maybe one of the literary works could be considered fantasy without the actual label. (Was Toni Morrison's "Beloved" on Oprah's short list?)

Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :

What bothers me about this guy is that he's sort of like Milli Vanilli. They made mad loot, but along the way a lot of people––their producers, their agent, and their label––all knew they were a fraud. And they didn't care.

Now here's Frey, who in prior interviews said his work was entirely factual, now caught in a series of lies. He's a fiction writer, oh well, stuff happens; he’s taking his lumps. But what about the people around him?

Posted by Elan (Member # 2442) on :

Lying is a remnant behavior from those days when the drug addict/alcoholic was out of control. It takes some people a lifetime to grips with the fact that lying, as a strategy for success, doesn't work. (My personal theory is that telling the truth is so much SIMPLER, because it's easier to remember what you've said.)

A friend of mine who is familiar with the AA program talks about the "dry drunk"... just because the person isn't imbibing the chemical doesn't mean their addictive behaviors and personality have changed much.

It is pretty common for people with some sort of dysfunction, be it drug abuse, alcoholism, anger, you name it... to have a deep and personal transformation. So they turn around and try to give back to society by teaching their method and telling their story. Problem is, they haven't healed completely. They are in the PROCESS of healing, but life is the journey -- not the goal. Then when they backslide, they do it in a pretty spectacular, and public, fashion.

I'm a little more jaded about some of these self-help authors. I used to work for a church that had folks like this coming in on a regular basis, to deliver sunday sermons and to give workshops and retreats. I know WAY too much personal background information about a lot of these folks to embrace them as some sort of "in touch" guru. (I admit I have never met Frey, btw.)

From personal experience, I can tell you the "self-help" lecture circuit is an industry, just like any other. People scratch each others backs, there are prima donas and dysfunctional gurus and you name it. It doesn't take away anything from the fact that lots of people DO find help in what they write. But one must always keep in mind the fact that these people are human, and many of them are working out their dysfunctional behaviors on a big stage. All I can say is: "Glad it ain't me."

[This message has been edited by Elan (edited January 13, 2006).]

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

(My personal theory is that telling the truth is so much SIMPLER, because it's easier to remember what you've said.)

My operating position and philosophy exactly. Though I like to preserve the flexibility of being able to lie, if at all necessary...

Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :

Telling the truth is far more complex, it involves discovering both the truth and the correct parsing for communicating the truth. Lies can usually be told by rote.

Posted by Clove (Member # 3125) on :

.

[This message has been edited by Clove (edited December 18, 2009).]

Posted by franc li (Member # 3850) on :

Was that book by Martha Nibley Beck on Oprah's book club or was she on the show, or was it more a point that she was on Oprah's staff?