James Frey: Just Can't Get Enough
Tom Scocca, in the New York Observer, writes brilliantly on James Frey.
If you really, really like and support James Frey, you won't read it, because you are making your decision based on emotion rather than reason. Which is your prerogative.
If you think that what he did is appalling, as I do, then you should read this piece, just...well, because you'll feel even more that way.
Knowing as we now do that James Frey never went to jail for hitting a cop with his car, here's my favorite part of Scocca's story:
...the copyright page of My Friend Leonard
informs readers: “Some names and identifying characteristics have been changed. Some sequences and details of events have been changed.” Fine. Then comes the opening sentence: “On my first day in jail, a three hundred pound man named Porterhouse hit me in the back of the head with a metal tray.” In other words: “On my first day in jail*, a three hundred pound man** named Porterhouse*** hit me in the back of the head**** with a metal tray*****.” *The author never went to jail. **Weight is an estimate; also the author, not being in jail, never met such a person. ***Not his real name; also the author never met such a person. ****Because the author’s head was not present in jail, such a blow did not actually land. ***** The composition of the tray is a guess, because the author did not actually get hit by it, because the author was never in jail.
Frigging brilliant.
