Mea Culpa, Mea Ultima Culpa

Anyone who has been in a bookstore within the last ten years has noticed the surge in popularity of the memoir: from The Liars' Club to Persepolis and Fun Home, readers have taken to stories of drug addiction, physical abuse, sexual identity, and alcoholism - just to name a few of the tantalizing topics covered by memoirists - to the point where publishers have no choice but to respond. The troubling issue for writers, it seems, is how to tap into the demand for this kind of work without having to twist the truth, without having to stretch the details of their personal histories. Unfortunately, as publicly discredited authors like James Frey have noticed (his pseudo-memoir A Million Little Pieces, originally offered to publishers as a work of fiction, achieved notoriety after parts of the book were revealed to have been embellished), it may not be possible for the truth, that irrepressible notion so in demand by us all, to fit within the pages of a non-fiction manuscript--especially if one wants to see that manuscript sold.

Now comes word that another recently published and praised memoir, Love and Consequences by Margaret P. Jones, is fabricated; its writer has been exposed as a fraud. Jones, the nom de plume of a certain Margaret Seltzer, writes the story of having grown up in a foster home in South-Central Los Angeles, sold drugs, and was part American Indian (no one cay say that Americans don't appreciate the exotic). It turns out, however, that Ms. Seltzer grew up under entirely different circumstances, and that the details as expressed in her work were nothing more than lies.

In the end, what are our responsibilities as writers, whether or not we choose to write non-fiction? Is there room for the "truth" in the memoir/autobiography? Should readers care if writers take artistic license for the sake of creating compelling stories? And why do readers keep returning to these books?

Links:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/books/04fake.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
http://www.slate.com/id/2134203/

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The GMC Video of the Week is "Ready for the Floor," by Hot Chip. The song, taken from the band's newly-released third album, Made in the Dark, is an absolute banger, replete with slinky, hip-shaking rhythms that are sure to make the kids dance with wanton abandon. The album itself features a handful tracks that can only be described as balladry at its beautiful best, especially when set in contrast to the bleeps and other percolating sounds that are heard on songs like "Hold On" and "Don't Dance."

Besides, how can you go wrong with a video that features the lead singer as the Joker?

http://www.hotchip.co.uk/site/

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Only twenty days and counting until Opening Day in Major League Baseball. I've got my MATTINGLY - #23 t-shirt all ready to go!

http://mlb.mlb.com/index.jsp

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