Margaret Seltzer

Margaret Seltzer (pseudonymously Margaret B. Jones, born 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American writer. Her first book, Love and Consequences: A Memoir of Hope and Survival (2008, ISBN 9781594489778), about her alleged experiences growing up as a half white, half Native American foster child and Bloods gang member in South Central Los Angeles, was proven to be fictitious.[1] She actually was fully white, grew up with her biological parents in the upscale San Fernando Valley community of Sherman Oaks and attended Campbell Hall, an affluent Episcopalian day school in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles.[2]

While promoting the book in radio interviews with WBUR's On Point and NPR's Tell Me More, Seltzer spoke with an African American Vernacular dialect and frequently referred to alleged gang friends as "homies" and "my home girl."[3][4]

Prior to being exposed as fabricated, the book was praised as "humane and deeply affecting" by Michiko Kakutani of the New York Times.[5]

Book withdrawn

The book's publisher, Riverhead Books, has recalled all copies of the book and audiobook from booksellers, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble have pulled the purchase page for the book from both of their sites, and Riverhead has offered refunds to those who purchased it.[2] The hoax was discovered when the publisher was contacted by Seltzer's own sister.[1]

Personal life

Seltzer currently lives in Eugene, Oregon.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Rich, M (2008-03-04). "Gang Memoir, Turning Page, Is Pure Fiction". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
  2. 1 2 3 "Memoir of gangbanging, drug dealing is fake". CNN.com.
  3. ↑ Ashbrook, Tom (February 29, 2008). ""Love and Consequences" in South Central LA (RealAudio file)". On Point.
  4. ↑ Martin, M (2008-03-05). "Margaret Seltzer Joins List of Fabricating Writers (RealAudio file)". Tell Me More.
  5. ↑ "Love and Consequences, Margaret B. Jones, Book - Barnes & Noble". Search.barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
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