James Frey: Real Memoirists Weigh In

One good thing about the James Frey scandal. At least his lies have inspired some good writing from other, more truthful authors. Mary Karr (author, ironically, of "The Liar's Club") wrote a good piece on Frey (and JT Leroy) for the New York Times. Even better is NPR commentator Heather King's piece for Publishers Weekly on "Why James Frey Doesn't Get It." My favorite quote:

As John Cheever said, "I lie, in order to tell a greater truth." But Frey lied to tell a lesser truth: he lied to make himself look like a hero. He lied—about the crimes he supposedly perpetrated and the tragedies that befell him—because on the one hand he wants the reader to feel sorry for him, and on the other he wants to be held in awe.

Which raises one final thought. Isn't Frey damaging his own recovery by repeatedly lying about his drunken exploits? Surely an important step (if not one of the 12 steps, exactly) is to stop lying to yourself and others.