James Christopher Frey (born September 12, 1969) is an American writer. His books A Million Little Pieces (2003) and My Friend Leonard (2005), as well as Bright Shiny Morning,[1] were bestsellers. In late 2005 and early 2006, investigators discovered that pivotal elements of A Million Little Pieces, a purportedly autobiographical account of the author’s struggle with addiction, were untrue. Contents 1 Career 2 Controversy 2.1 Media skepticism 2.2 Live confrontation with Oprah 2.3 Aftermath 2.4 Full Fathom Five 3 Lawsuit settlement 4 Current work 5 References and footnotes 6 External links [edit] Career Before Frey began his writing career, he held several jobs in the Chicago area while studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. Frey then moved to Los Angeles, California, and found work as a screenwriter, director, and producer. In the spring of 1996, Frey started writing A Million Little Pieces, originally presented as a memoir of his experiences during his treatment for alcohol and drug addiction at a rehabilitation center in Minnesota . Frey also wrote the screenplays to the films Kissing a Fool and Sugar: The Fall of the West.[2] Both were produced in 1998, the latter of which he directed as well. Doubleday published A Million Little Pieces in April 2003, and Amazon.com editors selected it as their favorite book of that year. The New Yorker praised the book as “A frenzied, electrifying description of the experience.”[3] In 2004, Frey wrote My Friend Leonard, which continued where A Million Little Pieces left off, and centered on the father-son relationship which Frey and his friend Leonard, from Hazelden, shared. My Friend Leonard was published in June 2005 by Riverhead, and became a bestseller. Amazon.com editors selected My Friend Leonard as their #5 favorite book of 2005. In 2007, Frey wrote Bright Shiny Morning, which was published in May 2008 by HarperCollins. Frey’s books have been published in thirty-one languages worldwide. In 2010, Frey collaborated with Jobie Hughes on the book I Am Number Four.[4][5] [edit] Controversy [edit] Media skepticism On January 8, 2006, The Smoking Gun website published an article: “A Million Little Lies: Exposing James Frey’s Fiction Addiction” alleging that Frey fabricated large parts of his memoirs, including details about his criminal record.[6] One incident in the book that came under particular scrutiny was a 1986 train-automobile collision in St. Joseph Township, Michigan.[7] The website alleged that Frey had never been incarcerated and that he greatly exaggerated the circumstances of a key arrest detailed in the memoir: hitting a police officer with his car, while high on crack, which led to a violent melee with multiple officers and an 87-day jail sentence. In the police report that TSG uncovered, Frey was held at a police station for no more than five hours before posting a bond of a few hundred dollars for some minor offenses. The arresting officer, according to TSG, recalled Frey as having been polite and cooperative. The book’s hardcover (Doubleday) and paperback (Anchor Books) publishers initially stood by Frey. But examination of the evidence caused the publishers to alter their stances. They released a statement noting, “When the Smoking Gun report appeared, our first response, given that we were still learning the facts of the matter, was to support our author. Since then, we have questioned him about the allegations and have sadly come to the realization that a number of facts have been altered and incidents embellished.”[8] As a consequence, the publishers decided to include a publisher’s note and an author’s note from Frey as disclaimers to be included in future publications.[9] The Minneapolis Star Tribune had questioned Frey’s claims as early as 2003. Frey responded by saying, “I’ve never denied I’ve altered small details.”[10] In a May 2003 interview, Frey claimed that his publisher had fact-checked his first book. He stated, “The only things I changed were aspects of people that might reveal their identity. Otherwise, it’s all true.”[6] On January 11, 2006, Frey appeared with his mother on Larry King Live on CNN. He defended his work while claiming that all memoirs alter minor details for literary effect. Frey consistently referred to the reality of his addiction, which he said was the principal point of his work. Oprah Winfrey called in at the end of the show defending the essence of Frey’s book and the inspiration it provided to her viewers, but said she relied on the publisher to assess the book’s authenticity.[11] On January 13, 2006, it was reported that all subsequent printings of A Million Little Pieces would include an author’s note addressing concerns about the content.[12] [edit] Live confrontation with Oprah As more accusations against the book continued to surface, Winfrey invited Frey on her show. She wanted to hear from him directly whether he had lied to her (and viewers) or “simply” embellished minor details, as he had told Larry King. Frey admitted to several of the allegations against him. He acknowledged that The Smoking Gun had been accurate when the website reported that Frey had only spent a few hours in jail rather than the 87 days Frey claimed in his memoirs.[13] Winfrey then brought out Frey’s publisher Nan Talese to defend her decision to classify the book as a memoir. Talese admitted that she had done nothing to check the book’s veracity, despite the fact that her representatives had assured Winfrey’s staff that the book was indeed non-fiction and described it as “brutally honest” in a press release. David Carr of the New York Times wrote, “Both Mr. Frey and Ms. Talese were snapped in two like dry winter twigs.”[14] “Oprah annihilated Frey,” proclaimed Larry King.[15] New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote, “It was a huge relief, after our long national slide into untruth and no consequences, into Swift boating and swift bucks, into W.’s delusion and denial, to see the Empress of Empathy icily hold someone accountable for lying,”[16] and the Washington Post’s Richard Cohen was so impressed by the confrontation that he crowned Winfrey “Mensch of the Year.”[17] The scandal over Frey’s book inspired the title of Andrea Troy’s satiric novel, Daddy-An Absolutely Authentic Fake Memoir. [edit] Aftermath On January 31, 2006, it was announced that Frey was dropped by his literary manager, Kassie Evashevski of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, over matters of trust. In an interview with Publishers Weekly, Evashevski said that she had “never personally seen a media frenzy like this regarding a book before.” Though she will no longer be representing him, when asked to reflect on Frey’s future as a writer, she said, “I still believe he’s a very talented writer and suspect we haven’t heard the last of James Frey.” On February 1, 2006, Random House published Frey’s note to the reader which was subsequently included in later editions of the book. In the note, Frey apologized for fabricating portions of his book and for having made himself seem “tougher and more daring and more aggressive than in reality I was, or I am.” He added, “People cope with adversity in many different ways, ways that are deeply personal. . . . My mistake . . . is writing about the person I created in my mind to help me cope, and not the person who went through the experience.” Frey admitted that he had literary reasons for his fabrications, as well: “I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require.” He also said memoirists had a right to draw upon their memories, in addition to documents, in creating their written works.[18] On February 24, 2006, Frey’s publicist revealed that Penguin imprint Riverhead had dropped out of a two-book, seven-figure deal with Frey. Riverhead had previously published Frey’s bestselling 2005 book, My Friend Leonard. On September 12, 2006, Frey and publisher Random House, Inc. reached a tentative legal settlement, where readers who felt that they had been defrauded by Frey’s A Million Little Pieces would be offered a refund. In order to receive the refund, customers had to submit a proof of purchase, pieces of the book itself (page 163 from the hardcover or the front cover from the paperback), and complete a sworn statement indicating that they purchased the book under the assumption that it was a memoir.[19] On July 28, 2007, at a literary convention in Texas, Nan Talese blasted Oprah Winfrey for being “mean and self-serving”, having a “holier-than-thou” attitude as well as having “fiercely bad manners” during Winfrey’s debate against Talese and James Frey on January 26, 2006. Talese said she and Frey were led to believe the show was going to be a panel discussion on “Truth in America”. Just before air time, both Talese and Frey were told the topic of the show had been changed to “The James Frey Controversy”. According to Talese, at the end of the show, Oprah pulled Frey aside and said “I know it was rough, but it’s just business.”[citation needed] Talese stated that Oprah needed to apologize for her behavior on the show. However Joyce Carol Oates said “This is an ethical issue which can be debated passionately and with convincing arguments on both sides. In the end, Oprah Winfrey had to defend her own ethical standards of truth on her television program, which was courageous of her”. Talese was unapologetic about publishing Frey’s A Million Little Pieces and commented that the book had great value for anyone who must deal with a loved one who is an addict.[20] In September 2007, HarperCollins announced a new Frey novel, Bright Shiny Morning, to be published in the summer of 2008.[21][22] In May 2009, Vanity Fair reported that Oprah Winfrey had called James Frey and made a formal apology for blasting him on her show for this scandal.[23] Oprah Winfrey has conducted an interview with James Frey, which will air on Monday, May 16, 2011. [24] [edi
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Book Description At the age of 23, James Frey woke up on a plane to find his front teeth knocked out and his nose broken. He had no idea where the plane was headed Read the rest
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James Frey: Countdown to the last ‘Oprah Winfrey Show ‘: Since then, it was announced that the 25th season of Oprah Winfrey’s talk show would be his Read the rest
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A Million Little Pieces is a semi-fictional memoir by James Frey. It tells the story of a 23-year-old alcoholic and drug abuser and how he copes with rehabilitation Read the rest
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The dramatic 2006 showdown between Oprah Winfrey and controversial writer James Frey on her talk show is probably etched into some of our brains, but Frey’s Read the rest
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from The Wall Street Journal. Arthur Phillips on Shakespeare, James Frey and Literary Legacy By Julie Steinberg. Barbi Reed In his latest book, “The Tragedy of Read the rest
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James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard. Read the rest
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Three months ago, in what the talk show host termed a “radical departure,” Winfrey announced that “A Million Little Pieces,” author James Frey’s nonfiction memoir of his Read the rest
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Official website of James Frey, author of A Million Little Pieces and the new novel Bright Shiny Morning Read the rest
james frey wikipedia the free encyclopedia
James Christopher Frey (born September 12, 1969) is an American writer. His books A Million Little Pieces (2003) and My Friend Leonard (2005), as well as Bright Shiny Morning Read the rest
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CHICAGO — Oprah Winfrey’s interview with author James Frey will stretch over two episodes during the final full week of her talk show. The shows will air May 16 and Read the rest
