Oprah and Frey

Hilary Frey's article on Oprah's public scolding of James Frey is quite interesting (you might have to watch the ad thing to read the article).

I have to say that I avoided the show (I don't tend to watch Oprah much anyway). I didn't care to see the train wreck, but now I wish I had. At some point, one of the guests "suggested that publishers should institute a ratings system for memoirs, to alert readers to how truthful a book is (an A+, or something like it, going to "State of War" author James Risen; a D to "A Child Called It" author Dave Pelzer); sadly, Oprah and the audience seemed to respond positively to this idea."

Now, this is really intriguing. It's a bit Tipper Gore-ish, but the possibilities are out there. Who needs those pesky prefaces, anyway? Publishers could apply the rating system not only to memoir, but to fiction based on real life as well (thus abolishing the oft-asked, "How much of this novel is true?"). Imagine the time this would save at readings and book signings! You could get in at least one extra latte at the Borders cafe just by refraining from that question. Nobody would have to spend one extra minute indulging in that terrible human trait, curiosity.

And memoir writers would be free of Oprah interrogations should they find themselves in the hot seat--"Why, Oprah," you could point out, "My memoir has a 'B+' rating on it! That means it's about five percent fictionalized. Surely you saw that before you picked The Moose Whisperer for your book club!"

Now, how to rate books so that they fit into this system would be quite a challenge, but there are a lot of out-of-work dot.commers who could fire off handy programs for this. Maybe it could even get the Silicon Valley booming again, especially if they apply this rating system to all different kinds of literature--certainly there could be a way to rate the imaginative scale in science fiction; even poetry could get a truthfulness rating!

Wow, a literary world in which everything is quantified for us--I can't wait! Ms. Strega is so tired of trying to be original and use her mind and creativity that she is darn near tuckered out. I don't want to think anymore; I want the publishing industry to do it for me. Yet, who could oversee this rating system and keep it pure? I know--we could take a tip from Orwell and establish a Ministry of Truth, thus creating even more jobs.

(Mr. Strega wanted to put in a word here: "You've missed the best part! We could apply this to ALL types of writing! Think of it: advertising campaigns ... political statements ... TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION! Yes! This is a must-do! There must be at least eighteeen different uses for this future rating system! We're All One Or We Are None!")

Hopefully, my dear readers can tell that I'm being totally sarcastic (my therapist says that sarcasm is a form of passive-aggression, but hey, nobody's perfect). There is a point at which I wish that the military-suited guy from Monty Python would appear and say, "No more of this now; it's just gotten silly." I do appreciate Oprah's need to support truth, justice, and the American way, but RATING the amount of truthfulness in memoir and nonfiction? I think that it's the author and publisher's responsibility to find intelligent and clear ways to let the audience know what is and is not in a memoir. By the way, Mr. Strega and I are opposed as to whether Oprah was engaging in behind-covering; I think she was (note that she did her about-face only when there was overwhelming media and public negativity towards A Million Little Pieces). He says she probably changed her mind legitimately. I tend to be a bit more cynical towards these things, but who knows?

Speaking of writing, Ms. Strega is again struggling through The Artist's Way (I believe this is supposed to happen, but damn). Still, I plug through. I keep thinking of a story I was told by a friend of Bill W., about a guy in recovery who was awaiting one of the promises of recovery, his "spiritual awakening." His sponsor said, "How long have you been sober?" The guy said, "Ten years." His sponsor said, "Well, THAT'S your spiritual awakening." Cause, whether I like it or not, the fact that I write every day is miracle enough at times.