Monday, December 22, 2008

A Million Little Diagnoses


James Frey's gotten in trouble for writing not-so-nonfictiony nonfiction. So he's moved onto fiction. But now he's going a little more historical. Apparently he's looking to write the third testament of the Bible. He says:

"'My idea of what the Messiah would be like if he were walking the streets of New York today. What would he believe? What would he preach? How would he live? With who?'' Frey said his version would see Jesus living with a prostitute. 'It doesn't matter how or who you love. I don't believe the messiah would condemn gay men and women.' Judas, meanwhile, would be the 'same as he was two thousand years ago', a 'selfish man who thinks of himself before the good of humanity, who values money more than love.'"


Okay, it's a nice idea, I guess. Basically Jesus is someone who loves everybody, even if contemporary society doesn't think they're cool. (Lepers, anyone?) But is that really a unique idea? What I'd like to see is Frey do something else with this. I can see it as an okay idea that doesn't really go anywhere.

It's a challenge, Frey. Step up.*

*Not that I've actually read his books. But even if this were an author I loved, I'd expect a lot of work out of this idea.

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