‘Nonfiction’ term should mean something

Oprah Winfrey was right this week to apologize for suggesting that it didn’t matter whether James Frey’s memoir “A Million Little Pieces” was strictly truthful or not. The publisher, Random House, is also furiously backpedaling, but only after Oprah called it on the carpet.
Turns out Frey embellished or made up several dramatic scenes and events. As a result, his book no longer has much credibility, although it still reportedly is selling well — as fiction?
When people read “nonfiction,” they should have confidence the events and details related are what actually happened, as best the author can determine.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

8 Comments

  1. Joe Williams
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 6:39 am | Permalink

    Million Little Pieces is like the liberals in the Democratic Party. Their nonfiction is actually fiction.

    (opened a can of worms) :O

  2. J M Walker
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 7:07 am | Permalink

    I think Oprah is dead on on this topic: non-fiction should be non-fiction. To claim otherwise, and to accept that premise, is to justify the re-writing of history.

    The funny thing about this whole episode is that the majority of people who say the book is not a problem, that the message is key, have been Liberals. Hollywood bought the lame excuse by Frey hook-line and sinker. Now their backpedeling big time in step with Oprah. Lets hope the lesson is learned: Lying sucks.

  3. Todd
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 3:39 pm | Permalink

    Why does anyone care about this?

  4. Ben Huie
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 3:46 pm | Permalink

    James Frey had a previous job as speech-writer for the Bush adminstration. How are those “non-fiction” WMDs coming?

  5. anonymous
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    Good question, Todd. I can’t for the life of me figure out what’s the big deal. Since when is Oprah somebody to listen to? Where does her credibility come from? She’s a TV personality, for God’s sake. Just like Springer, etc.As Todd says, who cares?

  6. Joe Williams
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 5:05 pm | Permalink

    Ben is that suppose to be a joke or do you have proof?

  7. Ben Huie
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 5:08 pm | Permalink

    A joke – as was yours.

  8. Rage
    Posted January 28, 2006 at 10:14 pm | Permalink

    “When people read “nonfiction,” they should have confidence the events and details related are what actually happened, as best the author can determine.”

    . .. meaning the publishers house, if they care about their reputation, will make some attempt to verify the claims made in the book.

    But there will always be hucksters out there selling crap and calling it ice cream (Deepak Chopra’s books are ‘non-fiction’ you know). Caveat emptor.