Oprah Defends Book in Surprise Call

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | January 12, 2005 | Hillel Italie

[BlessedBeGod]

Oprah Winfrey broke her silence about James Frey's disputed memoir of addiction, "A Million Little Pieces," dismissing allegations of falsehoods as "much ado about nothing" and urging readers who have been inspired by the book to "Keep holding on."

"What is relevant is that he was a drug addict … and stepped out of that history to be the man he is today and to take that message to save other people and allow them to save themselves," Winfrey said Wednesday night in a surprise phone call to CNN's Larry King, who was interviewing Frey on his live television program.

Frey has been under intense scrutiny since The Smoking Gun, an investigative Web site, posted a story last Sunday alleging the author had substantially fabricated his criminal record and other aspects of his past.

Publishers, writers and readers have offered their opinions, but none mattered so much as Winfrey's. Her selection last fall of "A Million Little Pieces" for her book club made the memoir a million seller and she might have fatally ruined Frey's reputation by condemning him.

Frey, in his first interview since The Smoking Gun story came out, acknowledged he had embellished parts of the book but said that was common for memoirs and defended "the essential truth" of "A Million Little Pieces."

"The book is about drug addiction and alcoholism," he said. "The emotional truth is there."

Frey received another endorsement Wednesday night, from his mother, Lynne, who appeared with him during the latter part of the program. ''I believe in James,'' she said. ''The book stands on its own.''

Frey's book was first published in 2003. He has been challenged before about passages describing such things as his receiving root canal surgery without anesthesia and boarding a commercial plane covered in blood and vomit.

But the Smoking Gun's story was by far the most thorough. Relying on extensive documentation, the Smoking Gun disputed everything from Frey's claim to having served three months in jail to being blamed for a car crash that killed two students while in high school.

''Police reports, court records, interviews with law enforcement personnel, and other sources have put the lie to many key sections of Frey's book,'' according to the article that appeared on www.thesmokinggun.com.

Winfrey herself acknowledged the vagaries of memoirs, saying Wednesday night she knows that maybe ''the names and the dates and times have been compressed.'' She said she hoped the controversy would inspire further debate.

''I rely on the publishers to define the category that a book falls within, and also [for] the authenticity of the work,'' she said.

[Fred Hayek]

One phrase that jumped out was "emotional truth". I assume that the facts need not prove the "emotional truth".

Somewhat like the phrase "that's not my reality".

[hosepipe]

Harpo'crites are better dressed than most hypocrites..
Accept it, it is a fact.. and they smile a lot too..
Oh!.. and their Compassionater's are broken and on overload...

[Sthitch]

There are many talented journalists in the print media, and some that even work for the NY Times. Even if I do not like their conclusions, or why they are looking into a story, if they lay out all of the facts they can find, and describe how the story developed it brings tonnes of credibility not only to the story, but also to the journalist. This is what the writer of TSG story did. There was no doubt in my mind that the idiot author and Oprah would not be able to punch holes in TSG's story, it was just too well documented.
As a counter example look at the Mary Mapes' forged document story. There were just too many holes on how the papers were discovered, who actually had them, and how she and Danny Boy were made aware of them. These holes leave too much room for questioning. One of the reasons why someone like Mapes cannot fill in these holes is that the story becomes too complex and she would forget aspects of the lie, and it would collapse on itself.
Now back to this discredited book, that same thing that Mapes attempted to pull off is exactly what Frey did pull off for several years. The story lacked details that he could easily get tripped up on, the witnesses were all dead (according to him), and so he could carry on the charade. I am happy to hear was figured out, now I feel bad for the woman who wasted their time and money on the book.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

What an eloquent and succinct appraisal of the whole Oprah rip off!

She is just disgusting..making a fortune out of an obscene masturbation of other's pain and guillibility!

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

The whole story about his rehab stinks...it is sooo phony and unrealistic. His parents also deserve plenty of scorn for going along with this charade...but then, they're in the money and fame too.

Saw this lame jerk on Larry king...the guy is just so dumb! and still LYING THROUGH HIS TEETH!

[YaYa123]

Oprah's changed her mind....guess she takes polls too. she will discuss the topic on today's show, apologize and admit making a mistake.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/26/books/26cnd-oprah.html?_r=1