I wasn't going to write about James Frey's controversial book, "A Million Little Pieces," again, but I want to apologize. Last week I made a tongue-in-cheek recommendation to cut Mr. Frey a little slack. I likened his fibs and fabrications to my sugar-coated remembrances of my childhood. I knew there was controversy surrounding the length of time James Frey spent in a correctional facility, but I figured a few hours might seem like months when you're in the slammer.

    Whether he endured two root canals without the benefit of Novocain or pain medication was also being questioned. Reading the book, I bought the author's explanation-medication might hamper an addict's recovery-swayed by the fact my childhood dentist did not administer Novocain when he drilled my cavity-riddled teeth, and I lived to tell the tale.

    You can imagine my dismay when I learned The Smoking Gun, an investigative website, confirmed these and many more bold-faced lies and literary infractions. It seems Frey's memoir contains a lot of hooey. Oprah Winfrey, Mr. Frey's greatest defender and promoter said, "I feel duped," when she gave him his comeuppance on live television. Lucky for Oprah, she has her own talk show. As viewers found out January 26th, it's not nice to fool Oprah Winfrey.

    Two weeks earlier, when James Frey was a guest on "Larry King Live," Oprah made a spontaneous call to Mr. King. The controversy surrounding the book, she said, "Seems to be much ado about nothing." I understand that call. James Frey wasn't the only one whose honor was under investigation. I can picture Oprah at home with longtime beau, Stedman Graham. They're eating popcorn, watching Larry King and Oprah's ego gets in the way of her better judgment. "I'm going to call right now," she must have said. I'll bet Stedman tried to dissuade her. An intelligent man, he would know nothing spur-of-the-moment is ever a good idea.

    The rest is history: Oprah was taken to task by a slew of well-respected national journalists who blasted her blasé attitude. Truth does matter, they said. With egg on her face, Oprah had to redeem herself. The only way to do that was to put Mr. Frey in his lying, cheating place. His place, judging from Oprah's chastisements, is at the right hand of the devil. (Her stern face reminded me of my grade school teachers. Oprah would make a good nun if the television gig doesn't work out.).

    Before I go any further, let me tell you I have been an Oprah fan for years. (I bought every book she recommended.) With that said, I must tell her, "Oprah, I also feel duped. If The Smoking Gun, referring to his book as "A Million Little Lies," could dig up the truth about James Frey, why couldn't your producers? Certainly, one of them should have done some fact-checking, especially since the book's veracity had been questioned long before you named it the book club's first nonfiction selection."

    It's hard to know what to think about this book and where to stand amidst the controversy surrounding it. Every day brings a new wrinkle. Even though the author has admitted he lied and his publisher has apologized in print, "A Million Little Pieces," remains at the top of the bestseller lists. Whether this book is memoir, fiction or creative nonfiction is the topic of discussion on everyone's lips. Food for thought or a can of worms?