James Frey's Messiah of the Subways

by Amanda Walgrove What would the Messiah be like if he were walking the streets of New York today? James Frey takes a stab at answering this question in his new book, The Final Testament of the Holy Bible. After revealing that his 2003 memoir, A Million Little Pieces was mostly fictive, Frey was swiftly ostracized by the literary community and, famously, by Oprah Winfrey, who had previously championed him. In a brave attempt to redeem himself, Frey has written an addendum to the most famous book of all time, revealing the second coming of the Messiah—this time, in the Bronx projects. Pulling out all the controversial stops, Frey's Christ character, Ben Zion Avrohom, also known as Ben Jones, is a former alcoholic who impregnates a prostitute, smokes pot, and engages in homosexual relations. After surviving a...

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James Frey’s Messiah of the Subways

by Amanda Walgrove What would the Messiah be like if he were walking the streets of New York today? James Frey takes a stab at answering this question in his new book, The Final Testament of the Holy Bible. After revealing that his 2003 memoir, A Million Little Pieces was mostly fictive, Frey was swiftly ostracized by the literary community and, famously, by Oprah Winfrey, who had previously championed him. In a brave attempt to redeem himself, Frey has written an addendum to the most famous book of all time, revealing the second coming of the Messiah—this time, in the Bronx projects. Pulling out all the controversial stops, Frey's Christ character, Ben Zion Avrohom, also known as Ben Jones, is a former alcoholic who impregnates a prostitute, smokes pot, and engages in homosexual relations. After surviving a...

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A Star-Studded Biblical Event

By Michelle Albert Though lately religion has seemed a passing fad in Hollywood, a group of celebrities are taking spirituality seriously. An audio version of the Bible - Old and New Testaments - is slated for release October 2009 from Falcon Picture Group. What makes this version different from all other versions is that it is read and voiced entirely by celebrities. Richard Dreyfuss plays Moses, Marisa Tomei is Mary Magdalene, Luke Perry voices Judas and Jim Caviezel, of The Passion of the Christ fame, reprises his role as Jesus. Hollywood stars playing biblical stars - the star power is blinding. Falcon's version, titled The Word of Promise, arrives on the heels of another celebrity-voiced version of the bible, Inspired By... The Bible Experience, released in 2007. Inspired By... features an all-black cast, including Samuel L. Jackson...

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