A Million Little Opinions
Just - and I mean just, like in the last hour - finished reading "A Million Little Pieces", the now-controversial book that might be a memoir or might be a highly stylized work of fiction based on real events. If you haven't kept track of the controversy, one of a million different places to start reading might be here.
First off, it's a great and searing read. It's a great story, no doubt. But isn't there something about promoting a book as a memoir that requires a level of honesty and accuracy? And do we know for sure that the book is liberal in its use of exaggerations and untruths? For me, I say no - we don't really know how much is true, but obviously some questions have been raised. Still, I think that there is a level of accuracy and integrity required of memoirs and documentaries that isn't required of other works. And if the author (or director, in the case of documentary filmmaking) breaches the line between truth and fiction, it's proper to call that out. It seems to me that this whole controversy would have been avoided if the publisher and/or author had promoted the book as a narrative based on real events - as opposed to promoting it as a memoir.
But now, to a different issue: The book details Frey's stay at a rehab clinic. According to his description, the clinic in question holds that the 12-step method to addiction recovery is the only viable methodology available today. (Please note: I have no way to comment on their position. I'm just not informed enough to weigh in on that debate.) But Frey rejects the 12-step method and chooses to base his ultimate recovery on his own day-by-day rejection of alcohol and drugs. I'm not an expert - or even a marginally informed layman - with regard to addiction. But I do wonder if his rejection of the method (which seems to be based on his distaste for its avowed reliance upon God or a loosely defined "Higher Power") will lead others who have perhaps less will power to try his same method. And if they do fail there where they might have succeeded in a 12-step context, does he bear some blame? Honestly, I think the answer is probably that he doesn't, because people are responsible for whatever decisions they make, foolish or otherwise. But it's interesting to think about.
I'm sure that others on the blog will have interesting thoughts on the topic, so I post a loose question to y'all: whaddya think?
posted by Kevlar Pinata @ 7:31 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Goodness Goodness Goodness.
So much to reflect on. Yet, I do nothing, I say nothing. Felicity is somewhat out of sorts.
This is all I can do right now. I can gaze upon my lime soaked navel. I can menace Teodoro's adorable shoes with a rolled up news paper.
"Who's a cute shoe?!"
"YOU ARE! YOU ARE A CUTE SHOE!!"
First of all, Felicity continues to be the most consistent source of laugh-out-loud material I can find. I'm cryin' over here!
Second, re: the James Frey thing...a few of the reasons I haven't posted on it is that our fave Betsy has posted on it quite a bit, and I commented a few times on her blog. And since I didn't read the book, I don't really have anything to say that's original.
But I can certainly respond to Kevlar. There's lots of trouble with lots of what Mr. Frey did. I do think he's irresponsible. But I don't think he's able to keep anyone away from a 12-step program. Those that would be turned off by a 12-step program would just have their thoughts confirmed, but those types of people don't have to look very hard for confirmation. That's fine. 12-step programs work for people that find it when they need to, and it works for those who work the program. If someone doesn't want it, they won't get it, and that's fine, and James Frey has way less to do with it than he or anyone else thinks.
People that can't stop drinking or using find help when they have no where else to turn. If at that point, someone actually says to themself, "Self, I'm crushed. Life is relentless. I can't stop. But James Frey said that 12-step programs are bullshit and that HP's are useless", I'd be very surprised. I think someone who's had enough is far more likely to say, "Fuck, I'm toast. I can't do this anymore." They probably aren't thinking of James Frey nearly as much as he thinks they are.
People at the bottom aren't thinking of the latest bullshit author at the top of the NY Times reading list.
So I think the guy is not quite harmless, but I truly don't think anyone will drink themselves to death because of him. And I mean that literally. If someone is on the final path to the final drink, that's going to happen whether he sells one more or one less book.
So the guy's a moron, and he's slim(e)y, and he can't hang in there during a freaking Larry King interview, who nearly pantsed him, which was something to see, because he is, after all, Larry King.
But I think this is more of a literary issue than a keep-sober issue.
By the way, I'm running a dual diagnosis group twice a week. (Dual diagnosis: mental illness complicated by addiction.) I guarantee you that the guys on the inpatient unit...who have very real, very severe problems, and who have struggled with 12-step programs for decades, some of them...I guarantee you that none of these guys gives a fuck about James Frey. They'd just laugh at him. And these guys may very well struggle with the spiritual aspect of 12-step programs. But that ain't because of that asshat.
And that's what I've got on that.
They are cute shoes.
I agree that it really is at heart a literary issue primarily, but the other thought is one that only popped into my brain after finishing the book. (And it is a good book, or at least a good read, and I do recognize that there's a difference. I wonder if defending it as a good book will wind up in the long run being something like defending "Bright Lights, Big City" as a good book back in the 80's.)
I need to cut back on my usage of parentheses. (Is "parentheses" the plural of "parenthesis"?) Dang it!!!
Felicity, that broke me up too. Ted - I gotta go to work but your post helped clarify the sobriety aspect for me here a lot - I always get so worked up about all the people needing to get sober! whenever someone talks shit like JF but I believe you articulated very well why I shouldn't worry about it.
Meanwhile, y'all - check Oprah tonight for the smackdown of the century!
while it's none of my business who is "dry" or "sober," and while i know that AA does NOT have a monopoly on getting sober.... james frey seems to me to be a real example of why i don't want to just stop drinking and drugging...to if you will, "put the plug in the jug."
he has gritted his way to "sobriety" by not drinking and drugging one day at a time. but as i've learned in the A and A, bottles and drugs and all that were just symptoms of my problem. just stopping and doing nothing else, or not finding a spirituality or something bigger to take away the real restlessness, irritability and discontentedness that has been at my core since day one will leave me with my core coping mechanisms: lying, cheating, manipulating, eating, spending money, sex, etc.
and thus, it seems with mr. frey. he's not drinking or drugging, but he seems not to be really giving up all the behaviors of a shyster (sp?) either. or seeming to be not so unmiserable, if i may largely take his inventory. i do not want what he has.
a million little books sold, sure. but the dis-ease from which he seems to suffer, no thanks. i'm still working on a shitload of my own.
Writers can write whatever they freegin want.
But didn't you expect me to say this?
My wifeissimo's read it in her book club and said it was a very good read too.
I like the sprikles on the cover.
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