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Poetic License? Writing the Truth and Intellectual Dishonesty in Composition by Joanna Johnson ClassroomActivities In the first activity students will discuss the complex ethical issues surrounding the publication of the memoir/novel, A Million Little Pieces. They will learn about deceit, honesty, and how oftentimes there are no unequivocal rights or wrongs. The second activity will help students will better understand the difference between creativity and falsehood. Finally, the third activity will give the students a look at the kind of essay they'll be asked to write in the SAT writing test, and help them decide what kinds of "personal experiences" they might want to include in their essay. Activities *Activity #1: A Million Little Pieces* - Embellishment or Deception? Part I: After briefly describing James Frey's book, discuss the following information and issues with your students: the Frey case provides fertile ground for discussion of ethical issues. At first, Frey tried to get his work published as fiction, but was unable to until a publisher got him to resubmit it as "memoir." Was Frey still responsible for it being packaged as a memoir? Some people have suggested its overall message (about overcoming a terrible and debilitating addiction) weighs more heavily than the fact it is embellished, or fictitious in places. At one point, Frey tells his readers that his girlfriend, "Lilly," committed suicide by hanging. In fact, Frey's girlfriend really committed suicide by cutting her wrists. Questions for Discussion: What's the difference in these two accounts? Has Frey's account "done harm," and if so, to whom? Is its message as powerful to its readers if we know it has been embellished? Is the message of the work more important than its method of delivering that message? Does the "bigger" message of the Frey memoir-i.e. it gives a compelling anti-drug message-outweigh the fact some of it was faked? Part II:** Have your students do some online research on the Frey controversy using one of the websites listed below: Statements from James Frey and Random House publishing about A Million Little Pieces (http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1648140,00.html?cnn=yes) http://www.thesmokinggun.com/jamesfrey/0104061jamesfrey1.html http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200601/20060126/slide_20060126_350_102.jhtml Oprah Winfrey's questions to James Frey about the authenticity of his book. "A Million Little Embellishments: Truth and Trust in Advertising and Publishing" http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1391 Ask the students to assume the role of one of the three key players (Frey, Winfrey, and/or Talese). After they research the material available about their player's perspective on the controversy, have them write a short paper outlining the ethical considerations involved from the perspective of the player whose role they have assumed. Activity #2:Writing Your Own Mini-Memoir Part I: Asked students to write a short passage or paragraph detailing a recent experience that was meaningful for them, and why. Teacher Prompt: Teachers can use any prompt they might regularly use-for example, asking the students to write about what they did the last evening/last weekend/last summer/ or about a time they learned a lesson, etc. Teachers should emphasize that the students use as much detail as they can remember to serve as evidence and description in their account. This writing exercise can be as long or as short as appropriate for the lesson time, or it can be assigned as homework since the length of the writing assignment isn't relevant to the purpose of this exercise. Part II: Once they have written their accounts, ask the students to discuss how much of their writing they fictionalized, or "made up." Did they do so to make their writing stronger? Maybe the students could even highlight relevant passages that have been "embellished." Teacher Prompt: Try to determine, through classroom discussion, the extent to which students felt they could or even ought to be creative in order to do better on the assignment. This can lead into a class or small group discussion of whether students were untruthful in their accounts because they thought it would be more interesting. Finally, ask each student to express their own opinion on the extent to which writers have a responsibility to tell the truth. Were their accounts falsified? If so, does it matter? Is this type of embellishment dishonest? Why or why not? Activity #3: Writing for the SAT In the writing section of the SAT reasoning test, students are asked to write an essay such as the one below. This is a real example of the kind of essay they will have to write. Teacher Prompt: The basic question addressed in the essay will similar to this question: "Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?" The student must use reasoning and examples taken from reading, studies, experience, or observations. Although "experience" is only one of the resources, it is an important one (and one which could be said to encompass all the others-reading, studies, observations-in any case). The students may want to address the following issues when writing their essay: What do you do if you really can't think of any examples from your own experience? Is it OK to make this up? It's fairly clear, isn't it, that the best essays are going to use such examples? What will you do? If you create or invent an example that would speak to memory's role in succeeding in the present, under what circumstances is that acceptable? What examples would be unacceptable, and what examples would be OK to use? The following directions are taken directly from the College Board, who administers the SAT: DIRECTIONS FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD FOR AN SAT ESSAY: You have twenty-five minutes to write an essay on the topic assigned below. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present. -Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation Writing Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/essay/pracStart.html)

Poetic License? Writing the Truth and Intellectual Dishonesty in Composition

by Joanna Johnson

ClassroomActivities

In the first activity students will discuss the complex ethical issues surrounding the publication of the memoir/novel, A Million Little Pieces. They will learn about deceit, honesty, and how oftentimes there are no unequivocal rights or wrongs. The second activity will help students will better understand the difference between creativity and falsehood. Finally, the third activity will give the students a look at the kind of essay they'll be asked to write in the SAT writing test, and help them decide what kinds of "personal experiences" they might want to include in their essay.

Activities

Activity #1: A Million Little Pieces - Embellishment or Deception?

Part I: After briefly describing James Frey's book, discuss the following information and issues with your students: the Frey case provides fertile ground for discussion of ethical issues. At first, Frey tried to get his work published as fiction, but was unable to until a publisher got him to resubmit it as "memoir." Was Frey still responsible for it being packaged as a memoir? Some people have suggested its overall message (about overcoming a terrible and debilitating addiction) weighs more heavily than the fact it is embellished, or fictitious in places. At one point, Frey tells his readers that his girlfriend, "Lilly," committed suicide by hanging. In fact, Frey's girlfriend really committed suicide by cutting her wrists.

Questions for Discussion:
What's the difference in these two accounts?
Has Frey's account "done harm," and if so, to whom?
Is its message as powerful to its readers if we know it has been embellished?
Is the message of the work more important than its method of delivering that message?
Does the "bigger" message of the Frey memoir-i.e. it gives a compelling anti-drug message-outweigh the fact some of it was faked?

Part II: Have your students do some online research on the Frey controversy using one of the websites listed below:
Statements from James Frey and Random House publishing about A Million Little Pieces
(http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1648140,00.html?cnn=yes)
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/jamesfrey/0104061jamesfrey1.html
http://www2.oprah.com/tows/slide/200601/20060126/slide_20060126_350_102.jhtml Oprah Winfrey's questions to James Frey about the authenticity of his book.
"A Million Little Embellishments: Truth and Trust in Advertising and Publishing" http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1391
Ask the students to assume the role of one of the three key players (Frey, Winfrey, and/or Talese). After they research the material available about their player's perspective on the controversy, have them write a short paper outlining the ethical considerations involved from the perspective of the player whose role they have assumed.

Activity #2:Writing Your Own Mini-Memoir

Part I: Asked students to write a short passage or paragraph detailing a recent experience that was meaningful for them, and why.

Teacher Prompt: Teachers can use any prompt they might regularly use-for example, asking the students to write about what they did the last evening/last weekend/last summer/ or about a time they learned a lesson, etc. Teachers should emphasize that the students use as much detail as they can remember to serve as evidence and description in their account. This writing exercise can be as long or as short as appropriate for the lesson time, or it can be assigned as homework since the length of the writing assignment isn't relevant to the purpose of this exercise.

Part II: Once they have written their accounts, ask the students to discuss how much of their writing they fictionalized, or "made up." Did they do so to make their writing stronger? Maybe the students could even highlight relevant passages that have been "embellished."

Teacher Prompt: Try to determine, through classroom discussion, the extent to which students felt they could or even ought to be creative in order to do better on the assignment. This can lead into a class or small group discussion of whether students were untruthful in their accounts because they thought it would be more interesting.
Finally, ask each student to express their own opinion on the extent to which writers have a responsibility to tell the truth. Were their accounts falsified? If so, does it matter? Is this type of embellishment dishonest? Why or why not?

Activity #3: Writing for the SAT

In the writing section of the SAT reasoning test, students are asked to write an essay such as the one below. This is a real example of the kind of essay they will have to write.

Teacher Prompt: The basic question addressed in the essay will similar to this question: "Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?" The student must use reasoning and examples taken from reading, studies, experience, or observations. Although "experience" is only one of the resources, it is an important one (and one which could be said to encompass all the others-reading, studies, observations-in any case).
The students may want to address the following issues when writing their essay:
What do you do if you really can't think of any examples from your own experience?
Is it OK to make this up?
It's fairly clear, isn't it, that the best essays are going to use such examples?
What will you do?
If you create or invent an example that would speak to memory's role in succeeding in the present, under what circumstances is that acceptable?
What examples would be unacceptable, and what examples would be OK to use?
The following directions are taken directly from the College Board, who administers the SAT:

DIRECTIONS FROM THE COLLEGE BOARD FOR AN SAT ESSAY:
You have twenty-five minutes to write an essay on the topic assigned below.
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present.
-Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation

Writing Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. (http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/prep_one/essay/pracStart.html)