Rebuttal By James Frey

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:44 am

Thursday,

January 26th,

James Frey, his publisher, and some of the country's

leading journilists join Oprah to address the headlines and

controversy surrounding Frey's book A Million Little Pieces.

ChiptBeef · Post by **ChiptBeef** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 11:19 am

The New York Times is reporting in their 1/26/06 "Book" section that Oprah has apologized for her support of James Frey and his book. I'm glad Oprah finally did the right thing. Too bad it took about a month for her to make that choice.

"Oprah Calls Defense of Author a mistake"

By Edward Wyatt

www.nytimes.com

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:53 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: Hahahahahahaha!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11030647/

And so now do I tell my 15 year old daughter this was a sham or not? This is a child that never read an entire book in her life with the passion she is reading with now. How sad

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:02 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: Have her watch Oprah. She's pretty disgusted with the whole thing too.

Sorry, didn't mean to laugh.

Ahhh don't worry about the laughing part, the kid isn't finished the book yet and I would like her to finish and then maybe we could discuss it and maybe then I will tell her the truth. She never reads, so this is a huge thing to get her reading. I would hate to discourage her. But this isn't about her. Pity this has been a sham.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 2:46 pm

Don't tell her anything, Minks. If she asks questions when the book is finished, answer them. Encourage her reading!

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:01 pm

chonsigirl wrote: Don't tell her anything, Minks. If she asks questions when the book is finished, answer them. Encourage her reading!

thanks good advise.. I am sure in time her friends will get the truth and in the end she may find out that way... much like the "Santa Clause effect"

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:04 pm

Yes!

*knowing Santa lives again at FG!*:wah:

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:04 pm

chonsigirl wrote: Yes!

*knowing Santa lives again at FG!*:wah:i miss santy :-1 *sniff*

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:07 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: I have to wonder if she's already heard about the fraud... its been in the news a LOT.

Fortunately this kid is like her ma, oblivious, so I don't believe she has heard anything cause she would have told me.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:11 pm

Let her read, and she will question you Minks when she needs to know something. I don't think most kids watch the news alot-I didn't at that age.

StupidCowboyTricks · Post by **StupidCowboyTricks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:14 pm

chonsigirl wrote: Let her read, and she will question you Minks when she needs to know something. I don't think most kids watch the news alot-I didn't at that age.

to busy munching IN-N-OUT:)

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:18 pm

StupidCowboyTricks wrote: to busy munching IN-N-OUT:)
So true SCT!:)

I remember getting pneumonia once as a teenager, and had to stay in bed for one week. Yuch! It was during one of the political convention weeks-I forget which party-and that was all there was on TV! I read all week long.

minks · Post by **minks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:19 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: I'm not trying to be a sh*t stirrer about this, but kids do talk in school about things, and since this book is so popular, it makes sense that this is one of the topics.

In any case, it doesn't really matter... if she's that involved with the book, she'll finish it anyway.

true enough and yes she could know via the school grapevine, but judging by her conversations, she is still of the belief this is all very real life events that happened to Frey. I am sure the kids at school will all feel like she will, when the truth finally hits them all. Pity they will feel so betrayed.

StupidCowboyTricks · Post by **StupidCowboyTricks** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:23 pm

minks wrote: true enough and yes she could know via the school grapevine, but judging by her conversations, she is still of the belief this is all very real life events that happened to Frey. I am sure the kids at school will all feel like she will, when the truth finally hits them all. Pity they will feel so betrayed.

But Minks things like that really do happen and hopefully she will see that....all of this stuff may not have happened to this guy but whos to say that he talked to these people in real life and just passed it off in his book as his own.

libertine · Post by **libertine** » Thu Jan 26, 2006 11:34 pm

I guess I'm old and cynical but What difference does it make? This author has written a book, truth or fiction, that has captured a lot of attention and has kids discussing it. He had to have had SOME investment in it or it wouldn't have struck the chord it did. My granddaughter (15) is disgusted with the hullabaloo, asking me what is the big deal, It is a good book.

I'm not sure HE is the one who touted it as true..just that it got perceived that way and he went along for the ride.

Anyone old enought for LOST WEEKEND or DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES? Neither of those was true, but they sure hit the mark with lots of people in a past generation

And how about KNOCK ON ANY DOOR. They even taught that one in Sociology Classes. i didn't hear anyone complain that it wasn't non-fiction.

THe problem seems to be the media can't leave well enough alone.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:17 am

I read the book and defended it as well because the actions that were being embellished werent central to the message the book portrays, HOWEVER, after watching Oprah yesterday, and Mr Frey (and his publisher) dancing around the her questions, it led me to believe, as Oprah, what parts are really true. Turns out he developed "characters" and that Lily's suicide was actually not by hanging but slitting wrists. He implied the "hanging bit" was much more dramatic. What are we going fo here in his memoir, the truth or drama?

P.S. Does anyone think 15 is young to be reading this book? I dont know, I dont have children, Im just wondering.

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:19 am

minks wrote: And so now do I tell my 15 year old daughter this was a sham or not? This is a child that never read an entire book in her life with the passion she is reading with now. How sad

I'd bring this to her attention so that you both could discuss the right and wrong of what he did............... With the big controversy about the book, I think it would be wrong to let her speak about the book unarmed with all the facts.

Kids can be cruel and could make her feel really stupid if she isn't aware of what is going on in the world -- "everybody knows............" and so forth.

Life isn't perfect. You can't believe everything you read. Mistakes are made. Lies are found out. People can own up to their mistakes. Great life lessons here.......

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Fri Jan 27, 2006 8:23 am

DesignerGal wrote:

P.S. Does anyone think 15 is young to be reading this book? I dont know, I dont have children, Im just wondering.

All people will understand the book according to their own life knowledge and experiences. I don't think age should be a determining factor, interest should propel the desire to read something (and I'm not going to discuss porn here).

minks · Post by **minks** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 1:40 pm

SnoozeControl wrote: NEW YORK - ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s true, James Frey, you need a new literary manager.

Brillstein-Grey Entertainment literary manager Kassie Evashevski, who represented the author of Ã¢â‚¬Å“A Million Little PiecesÃ¢â‚¬Â for more than four years, said sheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not representing him anymore because of his tall tales.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“In the last week, it became impossible for me to maintain a relationship once the trust had been broken,Ã¢â‚¬Â Evashevski told Publisher Weekly for a story on Tuesday. Ã¢â‚¬Å“He eventually did apologize, but I felt for many reasons I had to let him go as a client.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Well we call it a book, we call it a good read, we let it go. Enough analyzing it to death and finding fault. If ya liked reading it then good, if anyone learned anything from it even better.

Jr Minks still has no clue so until she askes I simply encourage her reading and applaud her interest.

Designergirl, I don't think 15 is too young to read this. If nothing else it jolts her into some thought provoking positions and maybe if it impacted her enough and she will continue to walk the straight and narrow as she does now. Hey I recall "Go Ask Alice" was thought to be scandalous back in "the day" Never dis-allow literacy is my opinion.

DesignerGal · Post by **DesignerGal** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:28 am

minks wrote: Designergirl, I don't think 15 is too young to read this. If nothing else it jolts her into some thought provoking positions and maybe if it impacted her enough and she will continue to walk the straight and narrow as she does now. Hey I recall "Go Ask Alice" was thought to be scandalous back in "the day" Never dis-allow literacy is my opinion.

Thanks minks. I was curious. Its hard to raise a teenager now-a-days Im sure with all of the new drugs out there (see why meth is bad). THere are many more to choose from these days and as someone said in another thread, they are much more potent and you dont know what goes in them.

Good luck to you.

I say, we end this one.

Saffron · Post by **Saffron** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:56 pm

I'm sure that everyone here realizes that now even more people will buy his book. Even though Oprah is mad at him, all of this press and media attention has given the book even more attention. I'm sure that guy Frey does not care what Oprah thinks, he made money and is still going to make money.

libertine · Post by **libertine** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:18 pm

Interesting sidebar to this topic. My aforementioned 15 year old granddaughter asked me to take her to the meeting of our library's book club that was discussing this book. the book was chosen BEFORE the controversy but discussed afterward. It was very interesting to hear her defend the author's stance, saying the validity of the book did not turn on whether he had spent 2 days or 90 days in jail but in his perception of his experiences. I have to brag that the other (much older) book clubbers were impressed with her arguments. i doubt that she changed anyone's mind, but the group was divided anyway, just as this forum is.

If nothing else, James Frey got everyone talking about two things...drugs and truth in advertising!!

Incidently..did anyone ever examine Angela's Ashes so thoroughly? I expect Frank McCourt did not remember all of those very dire occurrances the same as everyone else did the same thing. I would hate to have to judge each memoir by whether the teacher was 30 or 40 in the remembrance or whether it was June 4 or 25.

libertine · Post by **libertine** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 2:47 pm

JAB wrote: Wrong, for he did try and sell it as fiction first but all the publishers turned him down. When he made changes to it and presented it as a nonfiction story, he got the attention he was seeking and his book published.

I heard that he shopped it as fiction but the PUBLISHER touted it as memoir because they thought it would sell better.

I expect this is an argument that no one will ever own up to.

The Rob · Post by **The Rob** » Sun Jan 21, 2007 9:20 pm

Fact #1: Lying is lying.

Fact #2: Good writing is good writing (as Frey's book is alleged to be; I've not read it).

Fact#3: I saw a snippet of Oprah's show where Frey strove to defend himself, and I was very glad not to be that guy at that moment.

SOJOURNER · Post by **SOJOURNER** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:25 am

I, Rob;525132 wrote: Fact #1: Lying is lying.

Fact #2: Good writing is good writing (as Frey's book is alleged to be; I've not read it).

Fact#3: I saw a snippet of Oprah's show where Frey strove to defend himself, and I was very glad not to be that guy at that moment.

This book seemed to fall out of favor after Frey was exposed. Time will tell how others will preceive the book.