Memoir's Running With Scissors
The main issues of the memoir genre are that you cannot verify the veracity of the information given in memoirs, as well as a lack of effort in concealing the identities used in the stories. This leads to questions of nonfiction and the writer's integrity, as well as issues between publishers and people who feel victimized by portrayals of them in memoirs. However, memoirs are a captivating type of literature for all who would like to enjoy a story of other’s struggles.
Verification of a memoir is very important. Authors are selling this as their truth and their life. And what makes the memoir industry so strong is the consumer’s belief that what they read is a true story, When an author of a memoir sells a story riddled with lies and falsifications, …show more content…
They can claim the memoir is false, or that the information given portrays them negatively. An example of this is the legal battle between the Turcotte family and memoir writer Augusten Burroughs. They questioned the truth of the stories told in Burroughs memoir, Running with Scissors. The family claimed the story portrayed them negatively, and some of the accounts were incorrect. “During their interviews, members of the Turcotte family cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications or embellishments, including almost all of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors so popular.” The family felt betrayed and insulted. The confrontation brought some evidence to light that Running With Scissors may not be as truthful as it originally seemed.The family claims that situations such as messy children, vulgarity, and wild stories were not true. “The memoir writer says,”This is true. This is my truth. This is what happened to me.” This confrontation between memoir writers and their negatively portrayed characters has caused issues among the writing community. Lawsuits have ensued due to inability to prove the accuracy of memoir writers claims against
Verification of a memoir is very important. Authors are selling this as their truth and their life. And what makes the memoir industry so strong is the consumer’s belief that what they read is a true story, When an author of a memoir sells a story riddled with lies and falsifications, …show more content…
They can claim the memoir is false, or that the information given portrays them negatively. An example of this is the legal battle between the Turcotte family and memoir writer Augusten Burroughs. They questioned the truth of the stories told in Burroughs memoir, Running with Scissors. The family claimed the story portrayed them negatively, and some of the accounts were incorrect. “During their interviews, members of the Turcotte family cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications or embellishments, including almost all of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors so popular.” The family felt betrayed and insulted. The confrontation brought some evidence to light that Running With Scissors may not be as truthful as it originally seemed.The family claims that situations such as messy children, vulgarity, and wild stories were not true. “The memoir writer says,”This is true. This is my truth. This is what happened to me.” This confrontation between memoir writers and their negatively portrayed characters has caused issues among the writing community. Lawsuits have ensued due to inability to prove the accuracy of memoir writers claims against