Move over, Marley! Here’a dog story about a boy, a mom, and a very bad beagle!
Paula Munier, the author, was our editor for 7 Secrets. This is her first memoir, just published today, and it’s a winner. The last paragraph in the book reveals how very good Freddie the beagle is:
“The moral of my dog story is this: You can fix your life. All it takes is a dogged determination, a nose for trouble and – when when all else fails – the courage to howl at the moon. Freddie taught me that.”
Marley and Me is an excellent work.
That was me, btw, just correcting thinks and not things..
I'll have to look for this book. My daughter just got a new puppy that she things is human. Dogs bring to the table much more than they take away!
Regarding the changing of the name: "Thurber" was a pet name that he was called by the author, as he called her "Parker". Quite a few folks known to them already knew this
The author has "outed" this man to a series of mutal acquaintances in publishing and media, who need only read the book to immediately recognize who this is. The idea that "she changed this person's name, so that makes it right" is lame. Any person of an author's acquaintance would be inclined to say "hey, who is horrible person?" He's mortified in that sense, for now, and unsure whether he'll return to events that would bring him close to these people. Yes, a true friend would shake off rumor and innuendo, but others will say "hey, this is a book, a Memoir, it must all be true" which is why Mr. Frey was so compelling, and why, ultimately, the populace felt duped. Yes, Ms. Munier is entitled to her perspective. If she wanted to fictionalize "real" people in the books she should have written this as fiction, with All names changed. She pulled a Frey here, and now there are people out there who will have to digest and respond as they see fit.
Again, apologies for typos, etc. This screen jumps around a bit, and I've been traveling and the eyes are bleary.
I appreciate the forum. Thank you.
(oh, you had said I wrote the review anonymously, I did not, it bears my pen name. Also, I notice I mis-typed my first name there, which I owe to tiredness)
Trish, and Rob. I appreciate that a memoir is one person's perspective. The author chose, and the editor verified, and the publisher allowed the title "Fixing Freddie: A TRUE story about a Boy, a Single Mom, and the Very Bad Beagle Who Saved Them" Amazon has the title not only including the word "true" but put it in all capitals. A memoirist is surely encouraged to express his or her perspective and any emotions attending that. Following conversation with four people who are mentioned in the book, I have found that, to use the the phrase you did, there is 'fabrication of facts" here. That is what I was expressing, in a surely more animated state overnight. To ensure greater empathy for the mother, the son, the dog, events and behavior on the part of others has been told in half-truth, and other major events that would have caused the reader to understand the human condition of the "antagonists" in Ms. Munier's life have been omitted. Including the bad behavior on the part of the protagonists (I presume I may use those terms although "this is not fiction"). It is ironic that one ex-boyfriend I interviewed told me Ms. Munier verbally forbade him from using anecdotes and stories of their romantic experiences for his essays and other writing. In the wake of this book are ex-boyfriends and husbands, relatives of same who will tell you that there are fabrications of facts here. A best assessment having gotten through most of the book (and intending to finish) is that,to repeat myself, This memoir played fast and loose with some facts, omitted others, for the purpose of garnering empathy for heroes that unwitting readers would be more inclined to get behind. My involvement in your blog was catalyzed by gypsywoman mentioning the wonderful interview that Craig Ferguson had with Jeannette Walls. In that piece, the writer Walls expressed specifically this issue by way of explaining that one must pay attention to the huge, invisible wall that divides fact from fiction, and the terrible gray area created by not being careful when you write a memoir. David Sedaris is an excellent example of a fine essayist of fact. Having read him extensively, heard him speak numerous times, and spoken with him, the conclusion is the beauty of his work is his willingness to savage himself before others. That makes for a compelling, and believable work. Here, regretfully, I see acting out on anger and frustration by an author who in the process shows that, given her romantic history, perhaps a true inventory of her own mistakes and bad choices (many which she omitted, and which would help a reader understand she triggered the bad behavior of others) was in order.
The author chose to publish a memoir, put "TRUE" in the title. You are right, "It's her perspective". But that does not mean it had to be at the expensive of marginalizing others, and fabricating many parts of their lives. Those were choices she made, and she's got a bunch of guys out their who are understandably displeased in the process. My friend has done something slightly short of Herculean, and is smiling, with the resolve to make hay over this.
Also, the man's real name was not used. So it's a matter between the author and the man over the issue of how he was characterized.
Meredith- I deleted your previous comment because it was anonymous. A memoir is, by its very nature, one person's perspective.Paula has the right to say whatever she wants to in her own memoir. It's HER perspective.
A Million Little Pieces was a total fabrication of facts. That's the difference between the two.
Will look out for it, thanks so much for sharing ♥
howl at the moon does it for me too, heee heee heeeee
There is always a fine line between fact and fiction. Every story has many layers.
Maybe I'll read this memoir someday.
For now I'll just go out and howl at the moon. :-0
wv: demiteas
I am a graduate student in my 30s finishing my work in a Boston-area university. I had the good fortune to meet many fine people at a monthly mystery group that the author attends. There was mention of the upcoming memoir and so I went out and purchased it. I also met and spoke pleasantly with several mutual acquaintances. One of them happened to be a gentleman whom, around my studies, I'm in a fiction group with. I recognized him between discreet information he gave me, and the portrayal in the book. He is mortified at what I told him, and I felt bad. So, during a semester break from my dissertation, donned my journalism cap, and, also took a cue from the mystery group, and became part sleuth, part journalist. I spoke with people mentioned in her memoir, and relatives and friends of same. There are serious factual errors. It's bad. To fully disclose, "Thurber" is a friend, a friend whose story Ms. Munier chose to include in this work, but speaking with him, and having met his delightful cousins, I found was not fairly represented by this work. He is mortified. It took him about a week of understandable displeasure to convert himself to a good humor about this, resigning that he would, as necessary, use his keen sense of humor to essay this away. He does not know about the review I wrote. Yes, I can see how you would say "nasty". What, may I ask, do you call a person taking complete liberty with portraying real people for the sake, the engine, of her own more beloved characters? Is this responsible memoir work? In reading this book, things seemed a little odd without knowing the cast of characters, so I tracked down one very angry man who was not "Thurber". I will share with you one of the only private details that "Thurber" wished to share (he is a gentleman, by the way, in sharp contrast to what is said in the book, and the author baited him with endless punishments such as remaining on dating sites when they were together, etc. and house-hunting with some old flame who was a revenge date instead of house-shopping with Thurber. Regardless of Thurber's temporary socio-economics, and other flaws, a woman and man choose each other and stand-by, but the author was at least as guilty of not doing so. Love is lifting up, not trashing. The memoir, in defiance of grace, engages in name-calling such as "carp" and maligns Thurber, who, by the way, has been published in books (with and without the author's help), magazines, and is doing quite well currently, thank you, with capital projects. I was unable to keep my mouth shut once I read what I assumed would be a delightful memoir about a woman, her boy, a dog. But based upon just a sliver of information about Thurber, it was clear to me that something was wrong when I read the book. I am upset but accurate here, and you will forgive typos and dropped grammer. But this is sad, very sad. And it does not matter whether you delete me. Here lies much truth that the author omitted for her own financial and revenge gain. Be well, and I appreciate that you have a publishing and professional connection with the author. If you are true friends you may dare to ask your friend about what I've said here. You may tell her that the gentleman "Thurber" is a real and feeling person. A person who has made many mistakes, but did not deserve this. His relatives, who are lovely, would also stand by these words. It's sad, really, what became of a couple who at one time were going to write together, but now one seeks to savage the other. Hello, America!
My name is Meredith Burke, I wrote the review, under my used pen name of Meredith Silo. blogspot was giving me error messages when I tried to use my name for sign in here earlier. Here I will Again try to do so. I have nothing to hide, in fact I wish to have dialog in fairness about an injustice. I was under the impression that you were open to dialog about writing, and the importance of accuracy in memoir. I was responding, appropriately and specifically, to gypsywoman. But if you wish to block me, you may do so. But, as with news organizations, I'm all for fair and balanced discussions.
We deleted a nasty comment about this book because the author didn't sign his name. There was a link to an unsigned nasty review as well. We're all for free speech, but if you're going to blast an author's book, at least have the courage to sign your name.
oh, wonderful, a new memoir! can't wait to grab a copy! sounds really intriguing! and especially interesting that you post on this topic today because yesterday i especially was feeling remiss in not being able to work on my own project that you and i have discussed – and so in the midnight hours when i was unable to sleep and pondering things thereof, including the prospective results of my project, out of the blue i decided to turn on the tv – the first channel i landed on was craig ferguson's late late show – and just as i landed there, he was announcing his first guest was jeannette walls, the author of the glass castle which i absolutely loved [thanks, trish!] – anyway, i sat spellbound to her interview and knew that was the sign i'd been seeking – and just now, come here and your post! thanks again!