Comments on Life on the High Wire: Truthiness Defined

I read about Carr's book - fascinating. And exhaus...

2008-12-19T08:41:00.000-05:00

I read about Carr's book - fascinating. And exhausting. Can you imagine?

Lately I've been asking my mom questions to clear up some details from my past (more out of curiosity than anything else - I do think this book is going to end up a novel), but I have no interest and way too little energy in also finding friends, ex-coworkers, etc. to have them confirm/deny my past. And my father simply isn't an option - we don't talk, his choice.

I agree with you about James Frey. Good writing c...

2008-12-18T15:15:00.000-05:00

I agree with you about James Frey. Good writing can't save a book that lies.

I agree that a memoir needs to be substantively tr...

2008-12-17T21:53:00.000-05:00

I agree that a memoir needs to be substantively true and that there is some artistic license. Personally, I'm more interested in fiction, because I think good fiction is crafted to make everything come together in the most satisfying way artistically--in fiction, elements can be chosen because they add symbolic meaning and therefore depth and resonance. In non-fiction, even if the dialogue is snappy and the writing beautiful, the art isn't the same.
But I am intrigued by David Carr's memoir. I read an article based on it in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/magazine/20Carr-t.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=david%20carr&st=cse. The writing is so tight you could bounce a quarter off each sentence, and I love the fact that he reported his own memoir. He interviewed friends, counselors, family members. He reviewed records. He's so honest he tells his side of the story, then reports his ex-girlfriend's, and then tells the reader there's no way to know which is really true. I love that approach so much I may buy the book even though I rarely read non-fiction and am not all that into recovering addict stories. I just think it's really well done. So I guess, my feeling is the opposite of betrayed. I'm impressed by the high level of candor.