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James Frey

James FreyAKA James Christopher Frey

Born: 12-Sep-1969
Birthplace: Cleveland, OH

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Author

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Addiction memoirist, A Million Little Pieces

Author of A Million Little Pieces, a platitudinous memoir in which Frey recounts his personal struggle with alcoholism and splattery crack addiction. Following a tale of drug abuse, sensitive murderers and soulful prostitutes, Frey goes into rehab and emerges a changed man. He has since moved to Los Angeles and become a screenwriter.

In September 2005, Oprah Winfrey chose the book for her monthly book club, the first contemporary work picked since her 2001 choice of Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections was met with trepidation from that author, leading her to select nothing but classic texts for the next four years. Frey embraced Oprah and her choice, and his Million Little Pieces became the best-selling book of 2005.

An article published on 8 January 2006 by The Smoking Gun called into question the level of creative license taken by Frey in putting his story to paper. According to the article, Frey's embellishments include drawing out his prison terms, improvising police brutality, and writing a role for himself in a 1986 incident in which two high school girls were killed by a train.

Frey has since established an unusual business model, acquiring rights to unpublished market-minded books written by new authors, who receive a small payment up front and promise of a future percentage of the profits in exchange for "co-author" credit with Frey, who then seeks to convert their work into profitable multimedia properties. His system's first successful development was the 2010 novel I Am Number Four, written by Frey and his client/co-author Jobie Hughes under the pen name by Pittacus Lore, and made into a 2011 motion picture.

Father: Robert Frey (former Whirlpool executive)
Mother: Lynne
Wife: Maya
Daughter: Maren

    High School: St. Joseph High School, St. Joseph, MI (1988)
    University: Denison University (1992)

    Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity
    Hazelden Admitted Sep-1993
    Driving While Intoxicated St. Joseph, MI (8-Jun-1988)
    Driving While Intoxicated Granville, OH (25-Oct-1992)
    Risk Factors: Alcoholism, Cocaine, PCP, Psilocybin

Official Website:
http://www.bigjimindustries.com/

Author of books:
A Million Little Pieces (2003, memoir)
My Friend Leonard (2005, memoir)
Bright Shiny Morning (2008, novel)
I Am Number Four (2010, novel; with Jobie Hughes; pen name Pittacus Lore)


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