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Wanker of the day
Nan A. Talese, former editor and publisher of A Million Little Pieces by James Frey:
As for Frey’s use of fictitious elements in his ostensibly factual account of addiction and recovery, Talese said: “When someone starts out and says, ‘I have been an alcoholic. I have lied. I have cheated.’ … you do not think this is going to be the New Testament.”
From Gawker’s live-blogging of the Frey flogging on Oprah with Talese in attendance:
Oprah’s people were contacted by someone from the Hazelden clinic days after the book was picked. This person questioned the book, so Oprah had her people contact Talese. Talese’s team backed it up and said Frey’s book was “non-fiction.”
I’m actually glad Talese has dragged l’affair Frey back to public consciousness; those were good times.
Addendum: Gilding the lily, perhaps, but let’s just add this tidbit from the above-linked Smoking Gun exposé of Frey:
When Doubleday sent the book’s galleys out to reviewers, editor Sean McDonald wrote a letter touting Frey’s “fearless candor,” while a publicity manager hailed his “unprecedented honesty.”
Whose story is it, anyway?
“Want Political Truth? Buy a Book”
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Just saw Othello at StL Shakespeare. There are so many references to “honest Iago” that the audience begins to laugh at them.
This Iago was particularly creepy.
Audiences are much too knowing these days.
Welcome back to Arch City! We kept things just as you remember them.
The guy they had playing Iago also did Don John in Much Ado last year. He’s one of the better actors in their standing troupe. He basically acts rings around most of the others, and is one of the few who bothers to turn “Shakespeare” into dialog. He more than held his own with Mr. Freeman.