Here's an article from the conservative Washington Times that supports what Earle is pointing out about Grisham:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/oct/16/john-grisham-international-author-calls-for-lenien/
And it said ‘16-year-old girls,’ so he went there. Downloaded some stuff — it was 16-year-old girls who looked 30. He shouldn’t have done it. It was stupid, but it wasn’t 10-year-old boys. He didn’t touch anything. And God, a week later there was a knock on the door, ‘FBI!’ “
I don't know how many of you have ever had to deal with the media but if you have then you know they make it all the more sensational (look at the Ebola non-crisis; I have some news from work on that later tonight). But having been victimized during my memory interviews last year, I tend to try and side with the subject of the interview rather than the reporters who: a) sometimes fudge for effect; or b) don't have a damn clue what they're talking about.
Some of you may recall I did an interview
on NPR last December with Alix Spiegel. She was very sweet and professional over the phone and asked MANY clarifying questions. There should have been NO misunderstandings as it was nearly an hour interview.
But now go look at what
I'm quoted as saying in the transcript:
But Bill Brown, another person with HSAM, says that he's been in touch with most of the people in the group, and that everyone he has spoken to has struggled with depression. He says that very few of them have been able to maintain a long-term marriage — the rumor is only 2 out of the 55.
Okay, let's deal in factual errors:
1) I NEVER said I've been in touch with most of the people in the group. I have the recording. What I said was that I had met three other persons with HSAM in California for the "60 Minutes" interview (remember - we had to keep that under wraps because it had not yet aired and we had no air date) and ALL OF US - the FOUR of us, not all HSAMers....struggled with depression. It's true that "everyone" I had spoken with acknowledged depression (in a comforting though, we have each other now, which has made it easier to live with).....but this implies I've been talking to "most" of the group. That is simply untrue.
2) This quotes me as saying that very few of the 55 known HSAMers have had a long-term marriage. I never commented upon this at all because I had no idea at the time about it. (Also.....with my pending divorce and that of another person married 22 years and divorcing.......it might actually be ZERO now, I don't know).
This story has me commenting upon the mental health of people I never met and the marital status of people I knew nothing about!!! Neither is true in any way, shape, or form. As noted - I did say all of the four of us had bouts of depression but know this: I'm friends with these people and cleared what I would say with them beforehand. To read that I commented upon something I never did really sickens me.
And regarding "60 Minutes".......there is a link out there where someone is commenting about how struck she was by the joy of the four of us at dinner. Fine and good......except for the fact that she: a) was not even at the dinner and did not make the observation attributed; and b) could not possibly have viewed the videotape as she walked into the room about 20 minutes before the sit down interview after the plane was delayed.
Ok, this is not about my memory (though I'm a narcissist) but it IS about the media and the stories. And they do stuff like this all the time. All Grisham is saying is something that's true - have some perspective in this stuff. Don't be sentencing people to life sentences over obvious honest mistakes - that's what I got out of it. And I'm not a Grisham fan at all.