Dialing For Dollars

The Tell, a memoir by Amy Griffin, published by The Dial Press, is a harrowing account of sexual abuse. Ms. Griffin alleges that while she was undergoing therapy using the psychedelic drug MDMA, long repressed memories came to the surface. Bound and gagged, she was raped by her middle school teacher. The sexual assaults occurred in the 1980s at her middle school in Amarillo, Texas.

“I knew that these memories were real,” Griffin explains in her book. “My body knew what had happened to me.”

What turns out to be true about The Tell is stranger than autofiction. Writers often write autofiction about the things that have happened to them in real life. Writers might artfully craft their own experiences to become larger, bolder, more dramatic, more poignant, more imaginative, (sometimes more understated too), and, ultimately, more meaningful than what really happened.

The Tell, however, isn’t a memoir, nor is it autofiction. It’s a big lie. Not-so-grand theft. Slowly the facts about what lurks behind The Tell have been dribbling out. A woman, Jane Doe, has sued Amy Griffin, alleging that the author’s descriptions of childhood sexual abuse were stolen from her. The plaintiff claims Griffin’s descriptions of rape are exactly what happened to her at a school dance in a school bathroom. Jane Doe alleges Amy Griffin had reason to know about the assaults; they attended the same school.

Furthermore, Amy Griffin met and interviewed Jane Doe to snatch her scoop. Most astonishing of all, Griffin’s husband, John A. Griffin, invested in the drive to get the Food and Drug Administration to approve MDMA for use in therapy. This power couple has a foundation with strong ties to a company that plans to sell MDMA.

Jane Doe’s lawsuit against Amy Griffin also names The Dial Press and the book’s ghostwriter as defendants. The Dial Press admitted they never conducted fact checking before publishing The Tell. Upon release, The Tell received the big book marketing rollout, was touted as an Oprah Book Club selection, and received accolades by Reese Witherspoon and Gwyneth Paltrow.

The rollout for this book is very similar to another recent best-selling memoir. The Dial Press also published the hokey book by Belle Burden. (Please see Belle’s Big Burden.)

What is the difference between the fraud committed by a team of editors, along with a ghostwriter and the purported author, and AI? Both are deceptive and deliver books of dreadful quality to the discerning reader. The machine language of AI is an affront to those who respect good writing. The Tell, however, was intentionally fabricated by a bunch of dunces who are dialing for dollars.

Enter the Sweepstakes to get a big book deal with The Dial Press. But keep in mind that you must have a whole lot of money to be a contender.

Dialing For Dollars is an Essay in my collection NOTES FROM THE WORKING-CLASS.