Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Erica Jong On James Frey

Just when I think I've read every bit of foolishness on the self-admitted liar James Frey, Erica Jong offers up this idiotic defense in USA Today:
Why not just say: "Books are hard to sell in this television-besotted world, and I wanted to sell my book so I fibbed. I still stand behind the emotional truth of my book. It felt like I was in jail for months."

If Frey had been self-effacing and honest, who could have objected? It's difficult to sell books, and authors are desperate.... He could have just said: "Writers exaggerate, and I'm a writer." End of story.
There is no "emotional truth" in a pack of lies. His lies are especially obnoxious in a book that makes a cult out of embracing the Truth. And "memoir" is not a synonym for "I made it all up." How hard is that to understand?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm amazed at the number of real writers and publishers and editors who defended this twit.

Anonymous said...

I have a fear of Erica Jong.

Anonymous said...

I have a fear of bad writing.