A Million Little Fools
For some reason, I felt compelled to read James Frey's now discredited memoir, "A Million Little Pieces". I bought it in the airport last Sunday and read the first third or so of the book on three flights that ultimately landed me in the Northwest Corner of New Mexico.
As is my way, I promptly left the book in my hotel room, completed my business and headed to Tucson and forgot about it. I saw no news for the next few days due to a hectic schedule and the fact that hotels in Agua Prieta, Mexico don't drop a copy of USA Today at your door. Back in Tucson on Thursday, I flipped on the TV to see what the weather would be for the day and BAM - you would have thought a pretty white girl from the suburbs was missing.
Oprah had done an about face and went after Frey for misleading her. She was devastated by his deception. It was the lead story and, it turns out, front page news for many reputable papers.
My own thinking is that something in the culture is wrong here. People make stuff up all the time. We're currently ensnared in a foolish, unwinnable war in Iraq because people made stuff up, but it doesn't seem to get the play that this misguided addict does. The reason, of course, is because he messed with Oprah instead of the entirety of the American public. No one died (or at least not the way he said they did, and maybe not at all), no 10,000+ wounded, the only loss of treasure the 15 bucks or so that we all paid to buy the damn book.
Oprah should get Bush and Cheney on that couch and blast away.
Which is far from the point I meant to make. Despite it's obvious falsehoods (and anyone who knows anything about addiction and recovery should have been able to spot them after about 50 pages, Doubleday and Oprah staff included), I like the book. I dented my own treasure again in the airport in Tucson on Friday and bought another copy and, after about 300 pages, I'm still invested and I still like it.
Maybe by the end I'll change my opinion, but the story is compelling writing regardless of it's fiction/non-fiction status. It's confessional nature is stark and jolting, and the underlying themes aren't diminished by the deceptions in the stories. And, the truth of the fictional nature of the stories and the denial and more recent, partial capitulation, tells the story of addiction and recovery as well as any. It's like an adjunct to the book.
And, although I know she's a cultural icon, a philanthropist of the highest magnitude, and a role model for African-Americans and all women, could someone please tell Oprah that it isn't all about her?
As is my way, I promptly left the book in my hotel room, completed my business and headed to Tucson and forgot about it. I saw no news for the next few days due to a hectic schedule and the fact that hotels in Agua Prieta, Mexico don't drop a copy of USA Today at your door. Back in Tucson on Thursday, I flipped on the TV to see what the weather would be for the day and BAM - you would have thought a pretty white girl from the suburbs was missing.
Oprah had done an about face and went after Frey for misleading her. She was devastated by his deception. It was the lead story and, it turns out, front page news for many reputable papers.
My own thinking is that something in the culture is wrong here. People make stuff up all the time. We're currently ensnared in a foolish, unwinnable war in Iraq because people made stuff up, but it doesn't seem to get the play that this misguided addict does. The reason, of course, is because he messed with Oprah instead of the entirety of the American public. No one died (or at least not the way he said they did, and maybe not at all), no 10,000+ wounded, the only loss of treasure the 15 bucks or so that we all paid to buy the damn book.
Oprah should get Bush and Cheney on that couch and blast away.
Which is far from the point I meant to make. Despite it's obvious falsehoods (and anyone who knows anything about addiction and recovery should have been able to spot them after about 50 pages, Doubleday and Oprah staff included), I like the book. I dented my own treasure again in the airport in Tucson on Friday and bought another copy and, after about 300 pages, I'm still invested and I still like it.
Maybe by the end I'll change my opinion, but the story is compelling writing regardless of it's fiction/non-fiction status. It's confessional nature is stark and jolting, and the underlying themes aren't diminished by the deceptions in the stories. And, the truth of the fictional nature of the stories and the denial and more recent, partial capitulation, tells the story of addiction and recovery as well as any. It's like an adjunct to the book.
And, although I know she's a cultural icon, a philanthropist of the highest magnitude, and a role model for African-Americans and all women, could someone please tell Oprah that it isn't all about her?
posted by John at 9:26 PM
1 Comments:
What if........
there are codes programmed into the human Psyche or DNA, that we come in with at birth, that upon seeing or hearing a sequence of words or numbers, could unlock the unconscious mind. Perhaps start an awakening of human consciousness.
What if.....those words were A MILLION LITTLE PIECES.
And...what if....that little piece of literature that has been read by many was actually, from a broader perspective, serving as a vehicle for an awakening, not just on the topic of addiction and recovery.
What if......the lies that have been uncovered were On Purpose, from a higher perspective, not just about deception.
Who can deliver a huge audience of peoples from all walks of life?
What if.....it wasn't just about Oprah feeling duped?
A Million Little Pieces. A very nice title, indeed.
Love,
Cha Cha
Post a Comment
<< Home