James Frey Explains Himself
You may think I'm a dick or arrogant or delusional or whatever, and frankly it doesn't matter to me. I've written four books. Published in thirty-nine languages. I sold millions and millions and millions of copies. Do I want to be more famous? I could give a shit. Do I want to publish in more languages? There are a few left. What matters to me is a hundred years from now when people look back at our time, what writers are they gonna say, "Holy fuck!" I think I am and will be one of those people….You keep saying "fiction" and "nonfiction"! Those words don't mean anything to me. You think in today's world there is some greater thing called truth? You know what's truth? I'll give you some fucking truth. Truth is when I watched my fucking kid die in my wife's arms. That's fucking truth. That's truth. What happens here, what happens on the TV screen, that's all fucking fiction!
It is horrible his child died, but he is an arse. Also, the phrase is 'I could NOT give a shit.' 'I could give a shit' makes NO SENSE.
@TrilbyLane "I could care less" makes no sense. But "I could give a shit," I think of, like, just taking a shit on whatever the object in question is and, I dunno, it works for me!
@TrilbyLane Oy. I hear non-English majors in real life say "I could care less" or some such and I want to smack them. When it's someone who writes books for a living, it's an indictable offense.
@lempha: You're just being an enabler.
@TrilbyLane I was about to comment on the same thing. It's important for us all, but especially for published authors, to be crystal clear about when we do and do not give a shit.
"I could care less" and "I could give a shit" are correct, albeit maybe not quite English. They are attempts to render an independent hypothetical subjunctive as used in some immigrant language that makes more liberal use of independent subjunctive clauses than English does. Yiddish is usually said to be the origin, because people are always blaming the Jews for something, but there is no proof.
Think of these expressions with an unstated "As if …" in front of them, and then they make more sense without than with the negative. As if you could be bothered.
@Tulletilsynet
I don't give a fuck: more or less complicated?
There's a forceful inflection that "could care less" affords over "couldn't…" More fundamentally, if you interpret the phrases via the common present tense modes of ability or possibility, "couldn't care less" actually means the opposite of the supposed "correct usage." I, for one, do not wish to limit the extent of my lack of care (given appropriate circumstances).
@Tulletilsynet
#mansplaining
@Mr. B
There's no satisfaction like it.
Stay Classy, James!!
[sic] throughout, I trust? Yeesh.
Also, weren't we having this very discussion just the other day, re Franzen/Wallace?
@Mr. B The only difference is that James Frey made me chuckle a little. Franzen was mirthless.
@deepomega Gee whiz. I'm getting sick of feeling like I need to defend myself for liking The Corrections and Freedom.
@Mr. B
Did you bring the lube?
"What matters to me is a hundred years from now when people look back at our time, what writers are they gonna say, "Holy fuck!" I think I am and will be one of those people…"
What was he saying about delusional?
@KenWheaton He meant 'one of those people' that pretends he read Infinite Jest.
@KenWheaton "Holy fuck that guy was a delusional arrogant dick!"
I can't wait for the old lady who wrote "Go Ask Alice" to get her comeuppance.
@TrilbyLane I was about to comment on the same thing. It's important for us all, but especially for published authors, to be crystal clear about when we do and do not give a shit.
@lawyergay : I'm of two minds on this one (I could and could not give … ). "Do I want to be more famous? I could give a shit," [or I could not give a shit. Doesn't matter to me].
I think it can be understood fairly that the shit doesn't matter, the taking of the shit doesn't matter, the giving of the shit doesn't matter.
So, one could give a shit. Or not.
I think he must remind me of some former high school crush because I just can't bring myself to hate Frey despite his ultra-douchiness…
@SeaBassTian Yes! Even with these quotes I just find him really likeable.
Any one that pissed off Oprah I'm ok with.
Junior Trailer Park USA from executive producer Dennis Cooper. That's a reality show I'd watch!
I think the first paragraph translates to "DUH; WINNING!!!"
So nothing about the annoying guy writing this article? He's in an insufferability contest with Frey. What the hell is all of this? But I can't hate Frey either. Maybe he doesn't want to be likable..is that it? Also, 'I could give shit' is incorrect but I think it's admissible as vernacular. no? We all know what's meant more or less.
"Holy fuck! That book was terrible!"
FWIW, I spent about 30 minutes with him once, in a publishing-related context, and he was a lot more straightforward, chill, and normal than many authors with much less strident public personas. I hated a Million Little Pieces, and am not a fan of all the goofy stuff he says in interviews, but I liked the James Frey I met just fine. In fact, the person and the persona are so different it almost makes me wonder if this isn't all some weird performance art thing.