Oprah and Book Club Author Squabble: Embellished Memoirs Okay?

Latest Book News
Writer pens memoirs. Famous talk show host lauds book. Book sells millions. Discovery that writer embellished memoirs. Host says “OK.” Public says “Bad.” Host changes mind and says “Bad” too.

Does Truth Matter?
That’s a basic rundown of what’s going on with the Opray-Frey fracas. Oprah surprisingly stood by A Million Little Pieces author James Frey after discovering his book was not completely factual. Oprah’s original premise was that the book had helped so many people, why quibble over the details. The book was slated for no changes and HarperCollins executives dismissed the whole episode. Millions, however, disagreed. So in what is seen as a reverse of her original support, Oprah criticized Frey with the claim that he “betrayed millions of readers.”

Just the Facts, Ma’am
All this leads me to question how much truth and author accountability we demand in literature. I’ve been known to employ hyperbole or comically embellish facts for effect, but all in jest. I think the crux here is that the book was heralded as factual. How disappointing. Now a shadow of doubt is cast on the entire message of the book, which is a shame since it has helped so many people.

Author Accountability Standards?
Should we expect writers to be truthful? I vote, yes, if they are writing under the pretense of non-fiction. It’s only fair. But I guess as the debate continues, we’ll see how much readers value credibility. For its part, Doubleday hasn’t backed down. (And of course with all the new publicity, expect the book’s sales to skyrocket over the next couple of weeks.) But somewhere in the middle of it all, readers (and writers) will have to judge: does truth matter?

Kids Toothpaste and Plumbing 101

Idol Update
My sources report still no major A/P sightings in the American Idol auditions this week. We will have to see if our A/P shows in Vegas. For the record, a recent Associated Press article says the show is getting more vicious. So I wish the best to our rumored A/P finalist.

Word of the Day
Maven – “A person who has special knowledge or experience; an expert.” –Dictionary.com

Here’s an example of a sentence with the word maven: Lee Ann is a duct tape maven! You try it!

Phrase of the Week
"Ain't no hill for a high-stepper."

Here's an example of a situation in which the phrase would apply: Suppose (hypothetically, of course) that someone just so happened to tear up what was at one time a sink/garbage disposal. Just hypothetically speaking. Suppose this hypothetical situation put the hypothetical person into the dilemma of calling a handyman, getting it fixed, etc... If the hypothetical person's dad just so happened to be a licensed plumber, it would be appropriate to blow the situation off with the phrase of the week: "ain't no hill for a high-stepper."

Polish Those Pearly Whites
My new thing is kids’ toothpaste. That is to say, I have switched from my standard brand to a children’s toothpaste. The logic here is that toothpaste-makers must know how kids don’t do a very good job brushing, so they must make it extra powerful. If I, on the other hand, do an extra good job of brushing and am extra faithful, I will get an extra special blessing. Right? I don’t have any medical/dental authority to go on here, but I’m thinking my reasoning is sound. And if it works, let’s just say that Flintstone vitamins are on my next grocery list.

P.S.
Turns out it's not okay to pour grease down the kitchen sink.... who knew?

Ninetyandnine: Christians in Hollywood

Hollywood, Here I Come
You’ll never guess what has cropped up. While my writing life is typically limited to my job, I do occasionally get to write on the side. Here’s the latest: through a little networking, I’ve got a contact who is offering me a chance to draft a screenplay based on his research. We haven’t gotten anywhere near the point of him pitching the storyline or talking about how much would be ghostwriting, but bottom line – it’s my chance to write a movie. Pretty wild, huh?

Or Not
Imagine my interest, then, since this week’s Ninetyandnine issue features several relevant visual media articles. Here’s my thing. For weeks since this movie deal talk started up, I’ve been putting it off because I honestly don’t know how I feel about it. The only fiction I’ve dabbled in has been Christian. So how do I feel about creating secular art? It’s kind of like asking if your church music director should play in a jazz band on the weekend for kicks and extra cash. There are all kinds of issues that crop up and spawn even more issues, each of which will have a different answer for every person you ask.

What to Do?
My Christian fiction writing up to this point has not so much been out of conscious, deliberate choice, but because that has been the only venue that has opened up thus far in my young writing career. But with this new movie talk, I’m having to examine that choice. I’m still mulling it all over, but I’ll tell you this much, I have a newfound respect for people who dedicate their creative talents to Christian-based projects.

Those Who Turn the Tide
With that said, you all owe it to yourselves to check out this week’s Ninetyandnine cover: "The Only Way to Turn Things Around in Hollywood is to Become More Engaged." I don’t want to do it injustice with a glossed-over summary, but suffice to say it’s a fascinating interview with Spencer Lewerenz of Act One. An underground effort underway to break into Hollywood with Christianity? Well, but it’s more complex than that. You’ve just got to check it out.

Dinner on the Ground

A Great Tradition Not to Be Forgotten
Have you been to “dinner on the ground” lately? You know, the whole church changes into “dinner on the ground” clothes and eats brought-from-home casseroles together after Sunday morning service? I have to admit it's been a while, and that’s a shame. In the age of mega churches, I believe this tradition has been shelved because of sheer logistics. But I was only too happy to embrace it again this weekend.

Name that Casserole
It was just as fun as I remembered from the good ol’ days (if someone under 30 is allowed to use that phrase). The thing about dinner on the ground is that it's always fully of surprises. I think the phrase “pot luck” was probably coined at a dinner on the ground. You just never know what’s going to turn up in any given casserole on any given Sunday. Everything this weekend was super, with only one dish I couldn’t recognize. It involved cheese, ritz crackers, and then what I thought was filling for pecan pies. Don’t ask me, I can’t explain it. But like most dinner on the ground dishes, it turned out surprisingly good.

Spelling Mystery Solved
As a kid I always thought we should all have to sit on the ground in a circle to eat because of the “on the ground” part. It was such a disappointment to me every time that furniture was used, and that the event was typically indoors at that. This weekend I had a major revelation that the phrase must actually be “dinner on the grounds” now that I think about it. But "dinner on the ground" just sounds so much more vivid, so I choose to continue promoting that singular spelling.

Where Have All the Covered Dish Days Gone?
I guess the fun part is that at dinner on the ground you actually get to visit with people you normally only get to wave to. There’s nothing like checkered table cloths and dixie cups to bring out the social bunny in us all. Hopefully the fellowship aspect of the grand old tradition of dinner on the ground has not been forgotten, but just transplanted to more modern venues. Maybe in ten or twelve years, we’ll all sit around with our PDAs after service and text message one another from across the room over imported coffees. Still, if it involves dixie cups and the whole church in “dinner on the ground” clothes, I’m there--grounds, ground, or none of the above.

Depression and Eskimo Pies

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Congratulations on making it through yesterday (Monday, January 23), the official most depressing day of the year. Lucky for you, today (Jan 24) is Eskimo Pie Patent Day. If that won’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will. Meanwhile, I’ll never make the mistake of neglecting another Canadian holiday again, so happy election day, Canada!

Weekend Report
I had probably the best weekend I’ve had in months. My brother and sister-in-law flew in for a special surprise service honoring my grandparents for 48 years of faithfulness to their church and near-perfect attendance. I was very proud of my family but also very humbled and challenged. It’s awesome to see so clearly how a single person can have such far-reaching impact on the world around him or her. Sometimes I think my generation is overcome with cynicism and lacks the confidence to affect change. But looking back at the sacrifice of others before us and the fruit of their labor restores (at least for me) the confidence that the “one person can make a difference” statement is more than a cliché after all.