James Frey, Pussy

Several years ago, I received the first two chapters of a memoir called A Million Little Pieces, via email; this, because I am on the mailing list of Nan A. Talese, an imprint whose books I tend to like. I wasn't so keen on this one, partly because, after sixteen years of living in Los Angeles, the tale of a recovered junkie was just not that compelling; I could knock on my neighbor's door and meet one. Also, I didn't find author James Frey's writing very good. One thing I did like, however, was the cover. Very cool cover.

Cut to earlier this week, when the Smoking Gun unearthed that Frey's memoir, of addiction and crime was, for the most part, fiction. That the stories of running down cops with his car and puking and pissing blood and girlfriends who commit suicide and thugs beating him to a pulp in jail are, well, stories, as in, the kind you make up. More, that Frey had written the book as a novel, and after it was rejected seventeen times by publishers, someone at Nan A. Talese expressed interest, not as a novel, but as memoir.

Now, I was not in this meeting; I have no idea if the editor asked, "So, James, how much of this is true?" and Frey saw his chance and took it.

Other parts of the story that make this newsworthy is that it's an Oprah book; that it's sold 3.5 million copies; that his other book--also fiction posing as memoir--is also on the bestseller list; that his publisher stands behind the work; that Oprah says the fact that most of it fiction is "much ado about nothing," because the book's "message," about overcoming addiction is important. [This, written prior to the excruciatingly delicious whooping Frey took here.] How anyone would know Frey is telling the truth about being an addict remains to be explained.

What Frey did truthfully do is write a bad novel, a novel whose "I wish I were tough instead of soft and bitter, but maybe I can fool 'em with some Hemingwayesque prose and random capitalization" style reads like this, as when he's going through his parents' liquor cabinet:

I turn and I leave their Room and I close their door and I go to the Kitchen. I look through their cabinets and I find an unopened half-gallon bottle of whiskey. The first sip brings my stomach back up, but after that it's all right. I go to my Room and I drink and I smoke some cigarettes and I think about her. I drink and I smoke and I think about her and at a certain point blackness comes and my memory fails me.

Yes, it failed him utterly. I will not recap the Smoking Gun's report, but to cite two points. One, Frey has said he beat his myriad drug addictions through willpower, that all people need to do is "Hold on"; apparently, there are women having this power slogan tattooed on themselves. Way to lead the troops, James. Two, he appropriated the deaths two girls with whom he went to high school (the car they were in was hit by a train) and inserts himself into this tragedy, when in fact, he had nothing to do with it. How do you think you'd feel if you were the parents of these girls, to know that some guy is presenting himself as humble and helpful; that he's bought a two-million-dollar apartment in Manhattan, a summer house in Amagansett, in part by telling lies about how important he was to your dead child?

Frey has every right to do any and all of this, in a book that's known as a novel. I am not suprised at his publisher's defense; they showed upon encouraging the switcheroo how they feel about the truth. Their position is counterbalanced by what I read today, from Mary Karr, a memorist whose work I admire, and someone I've thought of pretty much every day since I started to write my own.

That position[of the publisher] infuriates Mary Karr, author of the famous 1995 memoir The Liar's Club.

"With three million books in print, that's a very convenient stance for Doubleday to take," Karr said in a telephone interview. Assuming the allegations are correct, she said, Frey has "the moral credibility of a sea mollusk" for fabricating his work.

A memoir, Karr said, is exceedingly difficult to write, even when you think you have all your facts straight. "You're a solitary voice, telling a life story as truthfully as you can," she said. "Even when you think (your memories) are true, you have to peck and push and nudge yourself," she said. "Is that right? Could it have really happened that way?"

Comments

[allan]

I wonder when Oprah will start selling wool. That's a lot of sheep she has in her barn. What's a good estimate for her flock's share of those 3 million plus of Frey's sales? Maybe 75%? More? Less? And her response of essentially who cares is just as bad as Doubleday shrugging off any responsibility. Takes a writer deep in the industry like yourself to understand what's really going on here. Shades of the Clifford scandal back in the 70's or 80's.

Oh, boy. The coffee is getting closer. But I'm a patient guy. I'll wait until the real system is in place. You have plenty enough to do. Some pretty exotic choices on that list that will be fun trying one at a time. VJ had a wish. Can I get one? That would be a sampler kind of pack. Say maybe a quarter pound of four or more varieties. Call it Ristretto Roulette. Or something more sensible.

And that interview from yesterday? I am an uncultured shameless philistine when it comes to food, but I truly love reading about how people end up doing what they do. You brought that out from her very well.

[nancy]

Interesting comment, re: Oprah. I actually admire the woman, and there is something to be having that kind of power and not being able to admit a mistake, though the mistake is not hers. She may be compounding it, but what are her options? I suspect the lawyers are discussing it as I type.
As for a sampler pack: we don't sell less than half-pounds, but yes, it's a good idea. Over the holidays, we did as much, three half-pounds for $20. It doesn't really save one money, but it came in a nice bag, with a bow.

[carolyn Baxter]

OPRAH/FREY SELLOUT TOGETHER

I just completed a ''Memoir''Called ''After the Blood.''Its about serving a 6year sentance when I was 18 In the Federal Pen.Meeting and becoming Good friends with Assata Shakur,being in a writers workshop in rikers Island.and being published with her many times their after.My first sniff of Heroin was given to me at 12 years old.In nyc.Im from Harlem NY.In those days the men and women would stand on the corners with''popeye''arms swollen and distorted by the Quinine burns Ulsere and Oozing with an infected Soul,and Society.AMemoir''is somthing you remember as happening.But you dont Yank a hunk of Lies off from a block Imagination at your discression.as its Betrail.I read the Bookand the fist fewlines I jnew it was Lie.First off,Ive Been in Many a shooting Gallery.from the lower eastside with writer Miqueal Pinero to Harlem with people from the old Dutch shultz crew nikki bonds.and I asure you Crack feinds especially.do not put anybody on a plane.!Junkies around drugs are like Stockbrokers around Money.the Moment itss GONE.there gone.to.and the more messed up you are ie,passed out ''OD ed'' they get out faster than if someone yelled ''BUHANDO''(the cops)It was s dry boriing book,all he did was vomit an vomit and Vomit.An IV for Dehydration surely in a Doctor staffed Facility/?..Duh! .and so on.The Problem with A MLLION LITTLE PEICES .Is that the Population he chose to exploit.have some Very Real detramental Problems to Conquer...like the endless wait until a drug clinic opens up.of course by the time it does.you life has changed upside 22 times!the Harsh Drug laws.Rockafella laws)the life style dangers from homlessness to cops Cracking you in the head.ToAIDS and HepC/TB etc.That Poulatin needs help.Not a little Punk surburban kid.that I he went in the Places he ''Imagined''hed been In.Hed Hear at Knife or Gun point''Gimmie yo Money WHITEBOY.And hed Give it.He would!!I would.But hes the ''Politics''of the ''GAME''I read how OPRAH was dooped/conned and Lied to.I felt bad.Especially when I went to the ''Huffington post website''and someone posted twice.Time for OPRAH to close her legs smells like ''Fish''.So I went to her website,To offer her a releaf from the massive databasses of Insult.To offer her a Creative Challenge.I thought in the back of my mind''how unique''I d offer the Public my brand new Hot Street tale.off the Press of the REAL story,of it Give People the Truth.and let them Compare.and have the Public who was ''Crying...like OPRAH and staying up nights..boo hoo ing.Read It and see how much they got from my manuscript.as some people said the Lies did ''somthing''positive for them.Well.In the Book club forum they Deleated my post3times.the first time they emailed me saying we get a lot of emauls and cant respond to them all..THE OTHER TWO I watched as they dissapeard befor my eyes Censorship at its Best..Now I know I thought why her audence is ''ILL''informed..Keep in the Dark not right.whereas the ''Black bloggers Allience.Wanted to Post Right away..And as you look around it..the Book cover still has the advertising sticker''OPRAH BOOK OF THE MONTH''in 4 or 5 different parts of the site.talks etc.surley i thought this was a Mistake.As OPRAH of ALL people ''CARES'' about people like I was at 18...and ''CRYED'' with Freys ''Pablem babble ''Surly shed Care about all the People that would gain from my true story.of suffering from a 15 year old drop ot Harlem 12 yearold addict Convict.Which all could be documented.To mother paramedic/Published author/and Mental healthworker.How did I do it.a story of Great INSPIRATION the ''memoir''is about the Journey.the Growth of it all.But alas''Mama''O had me feelin like ''HARPOS Wife in color PURPLE'' I WAS FEELIN MIGHTY LOW MISS SEALY''....MIGHTY LOW hear id come to the Aid of ''my sister'' How DARE Somone take advantage of ''Oprah''she was one a poor little blackgirl like me.But apparenty forgot where she came from.So My point is Ita Commercial ploy to buy more books it a ll about Money.Not Pride Sadly Money you can get anywhere but you cant make fools of the cops.Or People that struggle just alittle to Be BS'ed.Money tight.and the white house got enough lies keep the Public in a Hypnotic Complacent Slumber,soon anythings goes.so what!I persoanlly want a Refund.Im not one of OPRAHS generic housewives,From ohio., with hand drawn sign screaming at the crack of Dawn we love you OPRAH,Im a Afrosentric Blackwoman that has Much Pride and Love for my Culture.And as hard as things are for People of color.To become Published Its Clear to see who the Gate keepers are.hard whether is Rededemtion/Rehabilitation/or reparation.it’s a dangerous World with the tools that the Government Gives the ''Hood''to fight your way out with.Im ashamed of her.Im embarrased for her.Frey..Id expect that from him..hes just a common dude from the burbs.But the ''Oprah''Types clame that they havent forgotten where they came from So many Dmn good writers not only would have tould the truth but would have been grateful for the exposure.the game has Rules.Black People always always speak about helping each other.But with Broken Ex''Revalutionarys Like Bobby Seale and Black people Like Oprah That could help black people and don’t.Things wont get much better..Carolyn Baxter. theworldisaGhetto.blogspot.com

[girl_cook]

And just to prove (again) that any publicity is good publicity, James Frey is number one again on Amazon's best sellers. I wouldn't be surprised if Oprah re-ran the episode with James Frey VERY soon.

It was interesting to me that both he and JT Leroy were exposed on the same weekend although the fact that JT was a fake didn't surprise me all that much.

[Dave J.]

For what it's worth, a good example of a fusion between memoir and novel is "The Meadow," by James Galvin (spouse, or former spouse, of Jorie Graham). That book shows that it is possible to write yourself into a novel--to write about personal experience, but to imagine other parts of the book. If Frey was a more skilled writer/thinker, he could have done something like that. But writing a novel, much like being President, is hard work. He took the easy way out--imagined stuff and called it true.

[Michael J. Totten]

Paul Theroux's My Other Life is a terrific mix of novel and memoir. It's half true and half fiction. The character is himself, and the book's events are similar to what happened in his real life. But it isn't his life. It's his life in a parallel universe where everything is just slightly off. It's about what could have happened to him, yet didn't. And it's wonderful.

[nancy]

Yes, the mixing of the forms can happen in any number of ways, an infinite number of ways, as Dave and Michael mention. And that's fine; the world would be very drab if all books were in lockstep with one form or the other. But this sort of blending, which Burroughs also did brilliantly (in "junky" and "queer," books I once lent my good buddy, an engineer at Lockheed who had them in his briefcase, which he forgot as he opened it to lead a meeting of astrophysicists. Smooth!) is not what Frey did. He blended, he created characters, and then swore for several years that it was all true. I don't think this makes him daring; I think it makes him a liar, and now that's he's busted, he's both back-pedaling and justifying; he apparently said on Larry King (I didn't see the interview) something to the effect that his the book is in "the grand tradition of Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and that the genre of memoir did not exist in their time." So, now he's a groundbreaker. Jesus, I don't feel sorry for this guy, at all.
Two pieces today about it, on Slate:
http://www.slate.com/id/2134203/nav/tap1/
http://www.slate.com/id/2134214/nav/tap1/
The second also deals with the JT LeRoy flap. LeRoy, who once, in a hotel room at Chateau Marmont, fell asleep in my lap, but that's another story.

[KateCoe]

So, why doesn't Oprah just hire actors to go on the show and act out various tragedies? She'a all holy now, but I recall when her show had a guy in the joint and his daughters who'd he'd molested on the show and the phone tie-line between them.

Frey wants to talk the talk, but he didn't walk the walk.
On the other hand, I'm a hardened cynic and I always thought Leroy, like little Tony before him, was a fake. I'm not sorry for people who believed in him. Winona, Carrie and Ayelet.

[Curtis]

I think Nancy's basic point is spot-on. He should have made it clear that what was portrayed to be truth in actual time-of-his-life was instead truth-as-wriiten by someone who obviously has quite a lot more to reveal.

I hope it isn't the first act in a dog and pony show.

[Doug Mason]

"LeRoy, who once, in a hotel room at Chateau Marmont, fell asleep in my lap, but that's another story."

Now there's a tease that has me hooked...