On January 9, 2006 The New York Times sent shockwaves through the
literary world when it unmasked “it boy” wunderkind JT LeRoy, whose
tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries
internationally. It turned out LeRoy didn’t actually exist. He was the
creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco former phone-sex
operator turned housewife, Laura Albert. AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY
takes us down the infinitely fascinating rabbit hole of how Laura
Albert—like a Cyrano de Bergerac on steroids—breathed not only words,
but life, into her avatar for a decade. Albert’s epic and entertaining
account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows, fashion events,
and the Cannes red carpet where LeRoy becomes a mysterious sensation. As
she recounts this astonishing odyssey, Albert also reveals the
intricate web spun by irrepressible creative forces within her. Her
extended and layered JT LeRoy performance still infuriates many; but
according to Albert, channeling her brilliant fiction through another
identity was the only possible path to self-expression.