Comments | themolesmother: The writer, her son, a book and a thorny question of ethics

themolesmother

The writer, her son, a book and a thorny question of ethics

Mar 13, 2009 17:51

Have been following this story over the course of the week:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/4971982/Julie-Myerson-author-of-book-about-sons-drug-abuse-admits-writing-family-column.html

To sum it up. Whiny media celebrity and author pens a book about her son's cannabis addiction, its effect on her family and alleges she had to throw ( Read more... )

writing, ethics

Comments 19

dolorous_ett March 15 2009, 17:53:09 UTC

I asked someone who's made her pile out of interviews with Chinese people to my wedding in China. She immediately decided that it would be lovely if she could interview ma-in-law to be and gran-in-law to be for her next book.

One of the most sensible decisions I made that year was to give her a polite but firm NO WAI. Neither woman reads English, but it still wouldn't have justified them being used in that way. And considering certain other comments - which are in print - about other things that happened on that trip, I can only thank my lucky stars I said no.

themolesmother March 18 2009, 18:29:06 UTC

That's just dead rude, IMO. She was invited to your wedding not to harass your husband's relatives. You were quite right to say no.

MM

dolorous_ett March 18 2009, 18:42:08 UTC

To be scrupulously fair, she would never have seen what she was doing as exploiting - if anything she saw herself as a Woman with a Mission.

But she really didn't like the place, and it shows in her writings. Which rather leads me to think that she might not have enjoyed my in-laws much either. Not the sort of stuff you'd like to see in print.

emmyangua March 29 2009, 11:33:55 UTC

I have been following the story too - I believe the son is planning to chance his name?

I agree that in some ways what she's done is deeply wrong. It's perfeclty okay to use one or two snippets about your family life when writing (and as she was being employed to write about the family this is even understandable) but to make a whole career out of it is another matter. Certainly when the boy was old enough to make his feelings known she should have stopped.

themolesmother March 29 2009, 13:39:06 UTC

I really do hope, for his sake, that he changes his name. I agree with you that she should have listened to him and stopped when he was old enough to make his wishes known.

Welcome Chez Mole, by the way. Have friended you back.

MM

kiandra_fire June 4 2009, 04:02:04 UTC

(Hi hon! Just checking in - haven't heard from you for a while! How are things?)

themolesmother June 10 2009, 21:43:41 UTC

Hi there,

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. I'm very sporadic these days because of treatment but I'm still around. Got your story bookmarked to read when I have a bit more time and more strength.

Take care,

MM