JT LeRoy review – a less surprising hoax the second time around

The fake author who fooled the publishing world is brought back to life in a diverting tale that treads familiar ground“Sometimes, a lie’s more truth than the truth,” drawls author JT Leroy, speaking down a crackling telephone line. This straightforward dramatisation of Savannah Knoop’s 2008 memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT LeRoy details the scandalous, six-year-long ruse created by Knoop (Kristen Stewart) and author Laura Albert (Laura Dern) in the early noughties. Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy wasn’t just Albert’s pseudonym; he was a full-blown literary persona with a salacious backstory of poverty and child abuse that made the teenager’s acclaimed semi-autobiographical novels appear more authentic.When Albert meets her boyfriend’s shy, androgynous sister Savannah, she sees an opportunity to realise the reclusive LeRoy (the hunched, shuffling Stewart is perfect casting) and turn him into a celebrity phenomenon. Albert styles herself as LeRoy’s mad British manager Speedie; magazine covers and multimillion dollar film adaptations follow. For those familiar with the story, this version of LeRoy’s rise and fall won’t offer new revelations. Still, Dern brings a hungry, manic energy to Albert, a sad and troubled woman who used LeRoy as a vehicle to process her own childhood trauma, while Stewart’s performance is typically interiorised and exacting. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-08-18 07:00:10 UTC ]
News tagged with: #magazine covers #childhood trauma #memoir #publishing world

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Reviews of New and Forthcoming Religion and Spirituality Books, February 2014

Jim Martin's book about Jesus gets a starred review; Kerry Weber's first book takes mercy to the streets. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Winning a Literary Award Lead to Negative Reviews?

A new study reports that after a book wins an award its social media ratings tend to dip. The Guardian explains why. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Surprise: men still greatly outnumber women in US and UK arts publications | Soraya Chemaly

Sexism is real and it spills over to our most influential cultural publications. How many times do we have to call for change?Today, as they have every year since 2009, VIDA: Women in The Literary Arts, an organization dedicated to gender parity in the literary arts, released its annual count... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stark warnings of library 'emergency'; hopes for new review

Industry figures have voiced hopes for the latest government-commissioned review into the library... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time to rethink the publishing internship?

Gawker's new Recruits program will gauge prospective writers not on the writing itself, but rather what kind of traffic that writing generates. That's a uniquely digital spin on the idea of the internship, which is the traditional way that publications find and mold new hires. But instead of... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five Graphic Novels Nominated for L.A. Times Book Prize

Nominees for the 34th annual L.A. Times Book Prizes have been announced and include five finalists for the graphic novel prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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2013 L.A. Times Book Prize Finalists Announced

Fifty titles in 10 categories are in contention for the awards, which will be revealed in April. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First-Time Exhibitors Target Toy and Specialty Retailers at Toy Fair 2014

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When the Hills Ask for Your Blood by David Belton – review

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Erotic book loans at all time high

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[ BBC News | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will the Comcast-Time Warner Cable Merger Hurt Publishers?

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[ Digiday | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Granta buys novel on Yorkshire Ripper hoax

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google's New Real-Time Audience Measurement Is a Brand Play

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[ AdWeek | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IAB To Advertisers: Time to Step Up Your Mobile Game

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[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sieghart to chair new library review

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[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Should The Washington Post, The New York Times, and other Top Publishers Pool Their Video in a Consortium?

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Times Co. Reports Digital Subscriber Increase, but Continued Ad Declines

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Ad Revenue Grows, but Only Because It Bought AmEx Publishing

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[ Advertising Age | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Godine Has Surprise Hit

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Charlie Chaplin's only novel published for the first time

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[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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