James Frey Biography

Writer. Born James Christopher Frey on September 12, 1969 in Cleveland, Ohio. After studying at Denison University and the Art Institute of Chicago, Frey worked as a screenwriter, director and producer in Los Angeles. He took a year off in 1996 to work on his first fictional novel, A Million Little Pieces. The book was reportedly turned down by 17 publishers before he reworked it as a memoir. The new non-fiction work, a story of drug abuse and redemption, was published by Doubleday in 2003.

In 2005, A Million Little Pieces was selected by Oprah Winfrey for her monthly book club, causing it to become an overnight triumph with over two million copies sold. The hype surrounding the book led to increased scrutiny over its contents, most notably by The Smoking Gun, which released a report discrediting Frey and the book in 2006. The investigative web site reported that much of the book had been fabricated, including critical details about Frey's criminal record and rehab experiences. Frey first denounced The Smoking Gun and defended his book, but as the accusations began to escalate, he was forced to make a televised apology on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Nan Talese of Doubleday also admitted that her company failed to check the veracity of the memoir before publicizing it as such.

In the aftermath of the scandal, Random House issued a statement saying that future editions of the book would be accompanied by notes from both the publisher and the author. Frey was subsequently dropped by his literary agent and lost a two-book, seven-figure deal. In September 2006, Frey and publisher Random House, Inc. reached a tentative legal settlement where readers who felt they had been defrauded by the book would be offered a refund.

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