Writing for Non-Fiction Genres

» Gostiee - Victims?

Who did Frey victimize? We choose a book to read. Maybe it's terribly boring, or stupid, whatever. Does that mean that author victimized us? He said it was a memoir. I think lots of people don't understand what a memoir is. It is a telling of what the writer thinks is important in his or her life. What the good memoirist does is give the reader a flavor of what was going on in this particular section of his/her life.

Now, James Frey is an addict. One of the hallmarks of an addict is lying, embellishing, etc. No, he did not have that dental work without painkillers, but what led to him needing the extensive dental care was part of his addiction and I am glad that he brought that out, stated it.

What Mr. Frey gave us, the reading public, is the flavor of what he was going through. As an addictions counselor, what I read did ring true in that his life was tumultous, he did some horrible things and bad things were done to him. While in treatment, some things helped him and some did not. Again, that rings true. It appears to me that Mr. Frey needs more treatment but to demonify him does no one any good whatsoever. I purched his book and I keep it on my shelf at work because most of it is true. Maybe facts were wrong, but the totality of it is true.

Can't we give the poor guy a break?

-- posted by Gostiee