Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Not Anonymously Yours

A few booksellers where I live recently informed me of a rumor that's been going around. Customers have been buying copies of the book Jay's Journal and insisting that I wrote it.

I can almost understand how this rumor kind of sounds real for a very brief moment.
  • My name is Jay.
  • Jay's Journal is written by Anonymous, which is often shelved right beside Asher.
  • Thirteen Reasons Why is about cassette tapes recorded by someone who committed suicide, and Jay's Journal is a real journal (though highly altered) written by someone who committed suicide.

[from the back of Jay's Journal]
Jay thought he could handle anything. The first time he took drugs was for fun. But what started as an escape quickly spiraled into a haze of addiction. That was just the beginning of the dangerous path that ultimately led Jay to take his own life.

Here's the thing...

  • Jay's Journal was published when I was three years old.
  • If I ever do write something anonymously and try to pass it off as a real journal, I probably won't name the main character after myself.

But what really has me confused is that people are arguing with the booksellers, swearing that I wrote this book and that it's a true story.

One, I've never done any drugs. And two...I didn't kill myself.

I swear!

But sometimes, as Hannah Baker says, you can't disprove a rumor. So this bookstore ordered extra copies of Jay's Journal to keep up with the demand.


Maybe I should autograph the books and really freak people out!

8 comments:

Anne R. Allen said...

Since I live in your town, I'm kind of embarrassed for my fellow San Luis Obispans.

You didn't kill yourself when you were three after publishing a journal? So you SAY... I'll bet next you'll be saying Elvis is dead and you weren't born in Kenya.

Sandy said...

That book looks a lot like Go Ask Alice which on the cover also says Anonymous

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/46799.Go_Ask_Alice

but is written by Beatrice Sparks who as I just found out from Goodreads also wrote Jay's Journal.

Maybe she can help you out with the rumors lol.

Sandy said...

Oh and I just noticed its right next to Go Ask Alice in that picture :P.

Anonymous said...

hahahahahah . i don't get this . lol what is this book ?

Jamie said...

Maybe you should ask for your royalties?

The Pen and Ink Blogspot said...

"If they think it's you, do it. Keep the fans happy." That was actually advice from Ben Johnson the actor to Barry Corbin, a fellow actor. Their voices were very similar and Barry was often asked for Ben's autograph.

Paige Keiser said...

Fans starting rumors about you? You are officially a celebrity, Jay lol. Seriously, the fact that they're passionate enough about their belief to argue with booksellers. Shall I expect you in US magazine next? :-D

nothanks said...

Do I see a copy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudece next to my other favorite book of all time? Why, yes. Yes, I do. *heart melts* Oh, wait a minute. Is that copy of Thirteen Reasons Why autographed? Yes, I believe so. *heart melts more*

Ha! My, oh, my, fans are spreading rumors? You'd think after reading TRW they wouldn't do such a thing. Well, it's the good type of spreading rumors, right? I mean, when you hear that your fav show or book is coming out with a movie, you'd like to tell everyone. Yet it's a rumor, and you can't disprove a rumor.