JT LeRoy: Gender, Deception, and the Ultimate Hoax

On this week’s episode of the Compendium, we dive into the wild world of JT Leroy, a name that took the literary scene by storm before turning it on its head. Join us as we pick apart how Laura Albert and Savannah Knoop spun the identity of a made-up boy-genius author, fooling the glitterati and bookworms alike. It’s a story packed with scandal and a hoax that has us questioning everything about identity in the arts.

In our chat, today we're not just telling a story; we’re asking the big questions about what happens when the line between an author’s true self and their fiction gets blurry. We'll get into the nitty-gritty of the JT Leroy literary scandal explained, stirring up everything from gender identity debates to the shockwaves the hoax sent through pop culture. So, buckle up—it’s going to be a wild ride through one of the juiciest literary hoaxes ever.

We give you the Compendium, but if you're itching for even more, dig into these rad reads and watches:

1. "The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things" by JT Leroy
2. "Girl Boy Girl: How I Became JT Leroy" by Savannah Knoop
3. "Author: The JT Leroy Story" - Documentary
4. "Sarah" by JT Leroy
5. "The Cult of JT Leroy" by Marjorie Sturm
6. “Who is the Real JT LeRoy?” New York Magazine Article by  Stephen Beachy

Host & Show Info

• Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
• About: Kyle and Adam are more than just your hosts, they’re your close friends sharing intriguing stories from tales from the darker corners of true crime, the annals of your forgotten history books, and the who's who of incredible people.
• Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland by Aleksey Chistilin

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