Memoirs are tricky business. As someone who writes almost exclusively about things that have happened to me, I am interested in the ethics and conventions of the memoir. James Frey aside, there was also the whole hullabaloo with Augusten Burroughs settling with the foster family portrayed in “Running With Scissors” and changing the author’s note in the book after publication. And there’s been talk that there is just no way in hell that David Sedaris’ family is that concisely funny. (Although, Amy has publicly proved herself funny, so you never know)
The LA Times book blog points out a pre-emptive move made by another memoirist:

… Robert Leleux’s “The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy” … A note to readers is prominently displayed on the page preceding the table of contents. Here’s an excerpt:

“This is the story of my Texas life. And while (essentially) true to my experience, I must warn that it often reads better (as in funnier, or happier) than it was lived. This service I’ve performed not merely for the sake of your sensibilities, but also for my art. After all, how does the old song go? A hat’s not a hat till it’s tilted. Well, mea culpa, I have tilted hats throughout….”

Is this the literary equivalent of a warning label that serves only to invalidate legal claims? Or is it a sign that our expectations for truth and accuracy in memoirs are changing?

I have always been cynical about memoirs and assumed that they were a fiction/non-fiction hybrid more than an accurate retelling of events. It’s frequently left me wondering what all the fuss in these ’scandals’ is about. Of course, I’ve also never been written about in a published book. I’ve never had anyone put words in my mouth I didn’t say or attribute someone else’s personality quirks to me to save time and keep the pacing quick.

–Marcia