a disillusioned reader

Oprah is interviewing James Frey as I write. She regrets supporting him on Larry King, and feels like he did indeed, con her, as 'The Smoking Gun' reported. He's admitting he lied about his time in jail, and other details of his book, "A Million Little Pieces" and Oprah is steaming. He looks extremely uncomfortable, as he tries to justify his 'embellishments.' He has virtually no credibility anymore, especially now that Oprah has done a 180 on him.

My mind is reeling. Where does one draw the line between fact and fiction? Oprah said the book should have been labeled 'based on a true story,' rather than a memoir because of the amount of details he changed. Maybe so. I liked the book, and I get the story of kicking drugs, but why did he lie the way he did? Was it because of pressure from his publisher- asking for salatious details? Did he pick and choose what he told, figuring the truth would never come out? He claimed to have a coping mechanism of a 'tough guy,' and looking back he says he wrote from that point of view. I think that's a cop out.

As someone who wants so desperately to get published, I see this as a sad thing, a step backward. When people claim they are telling the truth about their lives, they'd better have facts to back it up. I can understand changing things for privacy reasons, or having a foggy memory and piecing what you can together. But to outright lie, and decieve while talking about an issue as serious as addiction...? If you're going to put your face out there and say "this is my truth,' then it had better be truth.How can you inspire people, and then let them down by being dishonest about the struggles you've faced?

James Frey should have stuck to his original idea to market his book as a novel. He wouldn't be squirming in interviews and embarrassing himself by avoiding questions.

Liar Liar Pants on Fire...