Addiction, Celebrity, Public Shaming & Truth: The Performance Art of James Frey, Celebrated Writer of Ill-Repute

The Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll

Health & Fitness, Education, Self-improvement, Society & Culture

4.8 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 18 August 2025

⏱️ 160 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

James Frey is the author of "A Million Little Pieces," a book that spoke to the deepest, darkest parts of countless readers in early recovery. This conversation explores his journey to become literature's bad boy, his heroes like Baudelaire and Henry Miller, and his philosophy of "prowling with the panther." We discuss the intersection of creativity and the Tao, where inspiration comes from, and his unique approach to capturing vitality on the page. Along the way, James recounts a few things he's never shared publicly. This is a manifesto on the importance of muscular books written by authors with courage. Buckle up. Enjoy! Show notes + MORE Watch on YouTube Newsletter Sign-Up Today’s Sponsors: Go Brewing: Use the code Rich Roll for 15% OFF 👉https://www.gobrewing.com On: High-performance shoes & apparel crafted for comfort and style 👉https://www.on.com/richroll Momentous: Save 35% OFF your first subscription order 👉https://www.livemomentous.com/richroll Roka: Unlock 20% OFF your order with code RICHROLL 👉https://www.ROKA.com/RICHROLL BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉 https://www.betterhelp.com/richroll Rivian: Electric vehicles that keep the world adventurous forever👉https://www.rivian.com Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors 👉 https://www.richroll.com/sponsors Find out more about Voicing Change Media at https://www.voicingchange.media and follow us@voicingchange

Transcript

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0:00.0	I think money is the most addictive, most destructive, most powerful drug of all.
0:08.0	More than anything, America is a classist country, right?
0:12.0	It's a fucking caste system.
0:14.0	And the rich live a very different life than not.
0:17.0	There are no consequences. There are no repercussions.
0:20.0	There is no danger. It is a playground,
0:23.6	and people get real bored in that playground. And when people get real bored and they have
0:27.6	literally everything in existence at their disposal, shit gets a little weird.
0:34.6	I'm not a journalist. I'm a guy who wrote a book about addiction.
0:39.7	I won't stop. I won't stop. I won't stop. I want to fuck it up. I want to burn it down.
1:02.3	In 2003, there was this book that came out, and it was a book that basically rocked my world.
1:13.5	A book that spoke to me to the deepest, the darkest, and the most hidden parts of myself in so many ways that no other book that I had ever read had. And at the time, I was a couple of years sober after hitting bottom, after having
1:20.2	blown up my life into a million little pieces. And I was in the early stages of reassembling
1:26.5	those pieces into my newly arranged life.
1:31.2	And I just couldn't believe this book said what it said.
1:34.5	And reading it felt like someone was somehow reading my mind,
1:38.2	the parts of it that I kept hidden.
1:40.2	And I couldn't imagine even ever saying out loud,
1:43.9	all of which left me fascinated with the mysterious wizard
1:48.7	who had authored this sorcery.
1:51.2	And it turns out I wasn't alone.
1:53.0	The book was a sensation, so much so that even Oprah took notice.
	...

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