JT+LeRoy

=JT LeRoy=



** The Art of the Fake Autobiography **

Writing a fake autobiography seems to becoming more and more common. Authors write either under a pen-name, or write a story using their real name. Either way, the story they write is not their own. Sooner or later, someone always finds out the truth! People love to read books about things that actually happened to another person or group of people, which may be the reason for the rise in fake autobiographies. When we read these books, we learn about what life would be like in their shoes. However, it is still important to remember that they are not real. We will be taking a closer look at one of these authors named Laura Albert. She wrote under the name JT LeRoy.

By Nadezhda Seu


 * Who is Laura Albert? **

Laura Albert is a 45-year-old middle class woman who wrote under the fictitious name JT(Jeramiah Terminator) LeRoy. She went to great lengths to hide her secret; including having a female relative regularly dress as LeRoy in public. According to Albert, although it cannot be confirmed, her early life closely resembled that of LeRoy's. JT was a teenage homeless prostitute and drug hustler. One of the books she wrote depicting the childhood of LeRoy, was made into a movie called //The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things//.

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Later in LeRoy's life, he was then taken in, “coincidently” by Albert, and turned his experiences into writing. Not much is known of Albert beyond what she herself has stated.


 * Why did she do it? **

While Albert is unmistakably a very talented writer, this may not have been the reason behind her hoax! There are many people who believe that she wrote her novels to gain the sympathy and friendship of celebrities. Unfortunately, it worked. She attracted big stars, like Madonna, Sheryl Crow, Courtney Love, Winonna Ryder, and Drew Barrymore. She even went so far to claim LeRoy was dying from AIDS. However, she maintains that the reason behind the façade of JT LeRoy is that she felt she could not write as herself.


 * What is Albert doing now? **

Since her admission that LeRoy is just a figment of her imagination, Albert is working toward writing a novel in her own name. She also worked as a writer for the HBO series Deadwood.

Being JT LeRoy Laura Albert, aka JT LeRoy, comes clean The Unmasking of JT LeRoy By Aubrey Harris

**Before ** Before LeRoy’s true identity was discovered, critic said he was a literary sensation. Actors and musicians were jumping at the chance to meet/befriend him. They also commented on how he was especially talented to make such literary works of art out of his “white-trash” childhood.

Suspicions started to grow when it became painfully obvious that almost no one had ever met LeRoy in person, only speaking to him on the phone. In 2005, columnist Stephen Beachy started an investigation on LeRoy to prove that he was not who he pretended to be. The New York Times eventually proved that he was, in fact, a fake from friend interviews, photographic evidence, and background searches. Accusations were flying left and right. Albert made a comment that LeRoy was dying from AIDS to try and “kill him off” when it became too difficult to continue the deception.
 * The Discovery **

Many critics have come to the conclusion that the strange thing about the JT LeRoy scandal is that the character was never believable from the beginning! This comment was brought on by the fact that LeRoy was hardly ever photographed in public. This seemed odd to almost everyone because of the fact that most young writers are vying to be photographed. 
 * Aftermath **

Can Laura Albert be Forgiven? Who Is JT LeRoy? Lot Lizards

By Dusty Carter


 * It’s a Cryin' Shame **

People can write impersonator autobiographies an infinite number of reasons. Every mind is different; thus, every reason for writing one. In Laura Albert’s case, fame and sympathy were most likely the top factors. She fed us obvious stereotypes, such as with drug addicts and homeless homosexuals, and we ate them up! While we believe that Albert is a phenomenal author, her credibility has plummeted, along with any respect many people have had for her/him. She should be utterly ashamed of herself. As with the case of Forest Carter (author of the novel Little Tree, depicting the injustices of American Indians who was later found out to be a former KKK member), Laura Albert should have stuck to writing fiction.

By All of Us