Reality, realism, truth-
my so far favorite quote on the issue of author James Frey 'embellishing' his 'memoir.
this is a quote by "Porterhouse" from a column by Jabari Asim in the Wa. Post- do go and read the whole piece- it sets thing in perspective
The True Fictions in Frey's Memoirs: "'They don't bother me,' he replied. 'Ours is a culture of deception. The Pilgrims deceived the Indians and it just went from there. Politicians lie on a daily basis. Corporations doctor their books to boost profits. And writers? What else can you expect? I always think of Janet Malcolm's definition of a journalist: 'He is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance, or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse.' Readers get victimized all the time.'"