Okay once again I’m venting. I know this news is weeks old, but frankly I’m still stewing about the principle of the matter.
James Frey wrote a memoir called “A Million Little Pieces.” His book landed him a spot on Oprah, and also a label as part of Oprah’s book club. His memoir is about his drug addiction and criminal activity, ending with his redemption.
He has sold more than 3.5 million books, thanks to Oprah. But the truth is it isn’t a memoir, it’s part fact, mostly fiction. Read the about the uncovering of his book at: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html
At first, Oprah came to Frey’s rescue during an interview he had with Larry King. I was furious to know that such a powerful voice in America would stand up for something half true. However two weeks later, Oprah redeemed herself by bringing Frey and his publisher back to her studio and questioned their integrity. (I missed the Oprah interview, just saw snippets of it.)
As a freelance writer, I’m appalled at this story. But it’s nothing new, authors have done this kind of thing more than once. Frey is a brilliant writer from what I’ve heard. But he wrote his memoir without a conscience for the whole truth. He stands behind his story. He believes part of it is true, and that is okay.
I want to trust the works of another writer. Readers deserves truth. It seems society is okay with the statement, “Truth is relative.” What happened to absolute truth?
Does truth even matter anymore?
P.S. This wouldn’t even be an issue if Frey would have wrote this in the fiction genre. . . There’s power in fiction, lives can still be touched.
Two days before they had some dr. on scarring the world with b.flu and the suggestion of vaccines and tamaflu(drug) may save the world. I’m sorry but it is hard to find much truth anywhere these days. What does the Lord say about in the lasts day and deception. I think the only truth may be found in his word