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March 12, 2017 JT Leroy
Has anyone seen Author: The JT Leroy Story?
I found it absolutely fascinating on so many different levels. Something in the back of my mind kept telling me I should remember when the actual events happened, it was vaguely familiar but still brand new.
It's the story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert. Laura had an abusive childhood and was committed multiple times, beginning when she was still in elementary school. She discovered her talent for writing, and told her story through the voice of others.
When she described JT, she called him an avatar. At times, she spoke of him as a real being, someone who inhabited her and she allowed herself to be used as his vessel. Other times, she indicated that she could express her pain and anguish through the voice of JT, a young "gender-fluid" boy, because she wasn't describing herself, telling her truth.
Then, it gets even weirder. JT becomes a world-wide sensation and is embraced by rock stars, movie stars, you name it. Because Laura is a forty year old woman, she enlisted her teen aged sister-in-law to play JT in public. There were book tours, movies made from the books, premieres at Sundance, etc.
Next, some journalist figured out what was really going on and exposed everyone. There was public outcry, law suits, and complete chaos.
::whew::
This film is Albert telling her story, and her unrivaled skill in manipulating reality means the viewer has to watch it with a measure of caution; but for the most part it rings true, a fascinating yet in places disturbing tale of life and art intermingling.
I highly recommend it.
Has anyone seen Author: The JT Leroy Story?
I found it absolutely fascinating on so many different levels. Something in the back of my mind kept telling me I should remember when the actual events happened, it was vaguely familiar but still brand new.
It's the story behind literary persona JT LeRoy, the fictional writer created by American author Laura Albert. Laura had an abusive childhood and was committed multiple times, beginning when she was still in elementary school. She discovered her talent for writing, and told her story through the voice of others.
When she described JT, she called him an avatar. At times, she spoke of him as a real being, someone who inhabited her and she allowed herself to be used as his vessel. Other times, she indicated that she could express her pain and anguish through the voice of JT, a young "gender-fluid" boy, because she wasn't describing herself, telling her truth.
Then, it gets even weirder. JT becomes a world-wide sensation and is embraced by rock stars, movie stars, you name it. Because Laura is a forty year old woman, she enlisted her teen aged sister-in-law to play JT in public. There were book tours, movies made from the books, premieres at Sundance, etc.
Next, some journalist figured out what was really going on and exposed everyone. There was public outcry, law suits, and complete chaos.
::whew::
This film is Albert telling her story, and her unrivaled skill in manipulating reality means the viewer has to watch it with a measure of caution; but for the most part it rings true, a fascinating yet in places disturbing tale of life and art intermingling.
I highly recommend it.