The truth about memoir fraud

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

When you buy a book, you generally know if it is fact or fiction. In fact, lying about factual book content is a crime. So why do some authors insist on trying to skirt the law with fictitious claims? Over the past 60 years, thousands of authors have claimed to have led fascinating lives and have bared all in gritty, nonfiction memoirs. Yet, some have outright lied.

Who can forget the James Frey scandal that resulted in a public admonishment from Oprah Winfrey?

Or more recently, Misha Defonseca, who claims in her "memoire" that she travelled with a pack of wolves during the Holocaust.

Read more about Fiction Masquerading as Memoir.

[Romantic Poetess]

Cheryl Kaye,
I didn't know people did that sort of thing in Novels.
Seems their family would ask them about that life in their mind finding its way to the book shelves!

I thought only people on yahoo 360 were Rich & Wealthy as an Oil Plantation with private jets & beautiful Celebrity look alikes with perfect bods-lol

I know some Novelist snubbed Oprah with his put down about her book club invite to showcase him.
Big Mistake Dude!! lol
You Go Oprah!!! RAHHHH!!!!! :)

Have A Groovy Day!!
Embrasse'
Vickie

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

Not novels, Vickie, MEMOIRS. That's what makes these cases so fraudulent. These authors are blatantly lying about their lives in order to sell more books.

I mean how can you lie about being part native and growing up in the foster care system when in fact you're white and your white parents raised you?? :) That's what one author did.

And you're right...why would they think their families wouldn't say something? One was turned in by her own sister. It's almost laughable...

Cheers!
Cheryl

[Author-Poet Aberjhani]

The bad thing about the Frey case is that by going back on TV and admitting his "mistake," he sold another million dollars worth of books! Go figure:-)

Aberjhani

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

Yeah. I recall hearing him defend his writing (without proper structure, punctuation or quotations) in A Million Little (Lies) Pieces as if it was a unique style just for that book. Then I opened his next novel and saw it was the same. I am wondering if he knows how to write or how to use proper punctuation or how to tell the truth.

[Romantic Poetess]

I wish I knew how to use proper punctuations & especially apostrophe(s) & all that ownership of it-I can understand it-but 5 minutes later....poof-It's all gone.

Like I thought a Memoir was a Novel of a person's life-lol
I don't know all this literary stuff :(

Yeah & Go Figure He Made More Sales! AURGH!! People probably wanted to read the lies or something-maybe it was a promotional thing? Like that guy whom told the community of spinal cord injuries there was hope for them to feel & walk & he pretended he was recovering? I forget his name sorry (Superman) That enraged me.
It's everywhere even the celebs!

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

That's where writing courses can come in handy, particularly if you want to be a writer as a career.

Memoirs are perhaps a bit more difficult to fact-check but it can be done for the most part.

As for the guy you say lied about his recovery, I sure hope you aren't referring to actor Christopher Reeves. The person who made that accusation against Reeves was none other than Rush Limbaugh, the same man who claimed that Michael J. Fox was exaggerating his disability.

I think people like Limbaugh need a wakeup call. What makes him think he's God? His behaviour is disgusting! In both cases, he was proven wrong. There is enough medical documentation to prove that both Reeves and Fox had certain symptoms and that Reeves' progress was amazing. I think Limbaugh has his own disability--he's barely human.

Don't believe in everything you read.

I think that's the moral story of the day.

[Romantic Poetess]

Yes Reeves Is The Celeb, I was in Milwaukee further training for wound care for caths inserted into bladders of quad & para's in 2001. The VA hospital of guys with spinal injuries were in a roar about it-There was a video of some sort with Reeves in it. I think he sent his apology to the magazine called disabilities or abilities? Or they demanded it-? I am nit sure anymore. It all was something to do with stem cell research he was in, or said he was allowing tests on him for research? And he was moving his body on his own? Or his left arm? I am not sure. Untruths can really squab a mind. Is that the same thing you mentioned of Rush L? I don't know about those accusations. There is no way Michael exaggerated, he was hiding his illness till it was unhidable as he said in an interview. What a shame Rush L. does that sort of thing to people. He will have his day as Karma will visit him. But yes it is a shame people do that-I totally agree with you.

[Cheryl Kaye Tardif]

The only thing I ever heard was Limbaugh's accusations, which stirred up some controversy. I've never heard of Reeves ever saying the accusations were true or that he had faked anything. And I haven't seen anything online either. So I'm thinking it was another awful rumor.

Christopher Reeves is a hero in my eyes and in the eyes of millions. He did more for spinal cord injury studies than any other single person. He and his wife have done so much good all over the world, and his foundation continues to do good.

And yes, you're right about rumors and Karma.

[Mitzi Kay Jackson]

Another thing it makes it harder for others coming behind them, people are hard to please sometimes and i truly think that most people have had shared events happen to them so way fudge on Memoirs, that is why we have other fields to write under... Memoirs are a self-healing ritual or was meant to be, to inspire, uplift, protect, share know i don't understand the lies in them