Author: The JT LeRoy Story (2016) Reviews

• Art is life, life is art

  paul2001sw-12017-02-04

  Laura Albert was abused as a child. As an adult, she started to write: fiction, but intensely personal fiction, informed by her past. Her voice, as a writer, was that of a young (gender-uncertain) man. But far from this voice being an intellectual creation, her character was almost an alternative personality, a being through whom she channelled a part of her self that she couldn't reach any other way. One could Laura had a gift for a form of role-play that had very little to do with play (J.T. Leroy was not the only persona who she could adopt more or less at will but with an almost uncontrollable conviction). When she published, she did so under the J.T. Leroy name. And she used that character's biography as a lever to attract interest in the stories he was telling. It's odd, fiction is fiction, but as the audience we like it if we feel it is based on personal experience. And J.T. was the author who just might have written Albert's novels, although the irony is that the books were still deeply personal, albeit less obviously than if J.T. had actually existed and written them himself. Then the story gets really weird. The books are a hit; the media wants to see J.T.; Laura persuades a (female) relative to act as J.T. in public, while she herself adopts another guise as J.T.'s manager. J.T. becomes famous, a friend to countless celebrities. Then eventually, the truth gets out and in the end, Albert is sued for fraud. It's an amazing story, relayed in this film. Less interesting than the "is it fraud?" aspect is Albert's amazing ability to sustain multiple identities, and what's sad is the story of personal trauma that might have caused this to be. It's also interesting to see the way that our culture needs to make events out of things, that instead of simply judging what only ever claimed to be fiction on its merits, it's the media's obsession with the character of the author that makes Albert's deceptions a public phenomenon (although, to be fair, this is also what enables Albert to sell so many books and to meet so many famous people). The film definitely is Albert's telling of her story, and her self-evident skill in manipulating reality means one has to watch it with a measure of caution; but for the most part it rings true, a fascinating yet in places disturbing tale of life and art intermingling.

• It is the tale of a con artist who was able to fool the celebrity establishment

  anadena-283482016-09-21

  I wrote a full review here: http://indieethos.com/2016/09/21/jt-leroy- story/ The latest documentary by director Jeff Feuerzeig, The JT Leroy Story, explores the making of the character of JT Leroy, an author who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a literary sensation by writing about his life, which included sexual abuse, homelessness and coping with HIV. A publisher recalls the work as a novelty, a new voice. However, the story of JT Leroy was a fantasy, a made-up story concocted by Laura Albert, a 40-year-old San Francisco woman originally from New York. She started using characters since early on in her life as she felt uncomfortable in her own skin. She used these personas partly to escape her life, which was full of trauma and abuse but also, seemingly, to get attention. She even attended therapy sessions as her character, melding fantasy and her life into different personas.

• A brilliant story of transcendence.

  bctbiz652017-06-03

  A beautiful tale of art-imitating-life-imitating-art. It revved me up to write, and inspired me to kick out the internal blockades. I felt an extremely strong connection to Laura and J.T. I will unabashedly state that I was jealous of the wonderful ride they had - both the highs and the lows. (I have had the lows myself, but never thought to exorcise my demons in the same manner - now I wish I had.) There are points in the film where my heart ached for Laura and J.T., not the least being that I KNOW that both their stories are real in the everyday world around us. In most cases these stories make the news for a minute, and are then submerged under the weight of fresh horrors, or simply because it is easier to ignore these truths than look at them squarely. Laura brought this story to the world in a manner that hooked us and refused to let go. And the story is as beautifully moving as it is dark. For me, although J.T. Is a fiction, I believe the way in which J.T.'s story was given to us is a blessing and not something to be cursed. I see both J.T.'s and Laura's worlds, both real and imagined, and the blurring of the line between the two as a magical place that we can be grateful to be invited into. Bravo Laura, Bravo J.T.!!!!!!

• Surprise! Those unfamiliar with the story may find this movie isn't quite what is expected. For me that was in a good way.

  RocketInNYC2016-11-06

  I saw this in my 2nd Yr as a Volunteer at the True/False Film Festival. Sometimes we get lucky to watch movies either thru the Q or as an usher, watching from the wings or empty seats. I knew J.T. Leroy as an author - I read "his" books working as a bookseller in both university and retail. I hadn't heard the name in several years & was lucky to see this doc at the 2016 Festival. I was shocked and amazed - and happy to learn "the fluid truth" this writer. I didn't feel tricked or lied to at all. In fact, for me, the extreme abuse she endured and her choice to create a story in-real-life as a boy makes sense. I see it as the ultimate form of a "pen name," doing so not only to tell a story but also as potentially therapeutic. The documentary shows the aftermath when readers learn her true identity & the over-reaction by readers and publishers. It documents the legal nightmare and (over?) reaction of readers to a quasi-fiction writer when the story should count more than the identity of the author. I agree with those upset that there was a physical lie - she passed someone else off as her in public. Not a great idea, but kids do stupid things. And the stories help those who are subjected to physical, psychological and other forms of abuse as kids/adults because of who we are. For me, the ends justified the deception - the documentary shows that most people in her world don't agree.

• Examining the differences between original authorship and defrauding the public at large

  paul-allaer2016-09-19

  "Author: The JT Leroy Story" (2016 release; 110 min.) brings the story of the JT Leroy literary phenomenon from the late 90s./early 00. As the movie opens, we see Winona Ryder give praise to JT Leroy for being such an inspiration. We then go back to "Brooklyn, 1995" and we get to know a woman by the name of Laura Albert, who, as it turns out, is the voice and brains behind JT Leroy, a shy 15 yr. old boy who may be imaginary to us, but is all too real in Laura's mind and, as we'll see in the movie, in the minds of many other people (Dennis Cooper, Bruce Benderson, Billy Corgan, Courtney Love, etc.). To tell you more of the story would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. Couple of comments: this documentary is written and directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, who previously brought us another outstanding documentary called "The Devil and Daniel Johnston". Here he examines the JT Leroy story, and the fine line that exists between original authorship and a hoax. When all this happened in the mid/late 90s, I was vaguely aware of it, but by no means in the amount of details that we are given here. It is an absolutely fascinating story that would be hard to believe, if in fact it hadn't happened. You can't make this stuff up! Laura Albert is of course a master storyteller, and she carries the documentary on her back, both for the good and for the not-so-good. As she points out, the books published under the JT Leroy name were clearly labeled "FICTION". I saw "Author: The JT Leroy" this past weekend at the Landmark E Street Cinema in Washington, DC. The early evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (I don't know how long this has been playing already). If you are in the mood for a great documentary that examines many interesting aspects of what some call the greatest literary hoax ever, you cannot go wrong with this. "Author: The JT Leroy Story" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!