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anobserver2

(922 posts)
27. Deception #1 in Memoir: North America
Mon Jun 13, 2022, 02:06 PM
Jun 2022

In Laura Miller's piece in the New Yorker she writes:

"he rose to become the C.E.O. of the agency’s North American branch"

-- and this title is also mentioned by other journalists because: Patterson does state in his memoir, as I recall, that he
was "CEO of JWT North America."

OK. Let's say he was.

What is "North America" - ? How would you define it?

Here is one answer I found online:


What is considered North America?
The term Northern America refers to the northern portion of the continent. It includes the world's largest island Greenland and the sovereign states of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. About 498 million people live in Northern America (in 2019.)


Here is another answer I found online:

What are the 7 countries in North America?
Northern American Countries
Canada. At nearly 10 million square kilometers or over 3.8 million square miles, Canada is the largest country in North America and the second-largest country in the world (Russia is the first). ...
Mexico. ...
The United States of America (USA) ...
Antigua and Barbuda. ...
The Bahamas. ...
Barbados. ...
Cuba. ...
Dominica.


------------

Now, I have heard - for many years - that James Patterson was the CEO of JWT North America. So I look through his memoir. I read his memoir after taking it out of the library. And here is what I am looking for: I would like to read ONE story, even if it's only ONE or TWO pages long, about: his experience as CEO of JWT North America. I would like to read about JWT's office in Canada, and what happened when he went there. I would like to read about JWT's office in Mexico, and what happened when he went there. But, here's the thing: I could not find one story about James Patterson at any JWT office in Canada or Mexico.

I think that's because: JWT never had any office in Canada and never had any office in Mexico.

Yes, JWT had offices in Europe. Yes, JWT had offices in Asia. Yes, JWT had offices in Africa.

But the only JWT offices in "North America" were in: the United States.

And I am sure: James Patterson can pull out a business card that says "CEO OF JWT North America."

However, I can make a business card that says that, too.

I am sure, people who worked with him would tell you, "Oh, yes, that was his title - CEO of JWT North America."
And those people, some of them, may have no idea that JWT had no offices in Canada or Mexico.

So, call me crazy, but when a CEO of North America writes a memoir, I expect to read: stories about the experience of being a CEO
in North America - Canada, Mexico, or other countries outside the USA.

But no such stories exist in his memoir.


I think it's because: JWT had no offices outside the USA in North America. It was a fake title for James Patterson, because James Patterson was very busy doing: other things.

And here come a dozen people telling me James Patterson DID write chapter after chapter about Mexico and Canada, but, his editor felt the book was already too long.

Whatever.
Have it. Haven't gotten around to it. ReluctanceTango Jun 2022 #1
His "writing factory" gets very little space in this 300+ page memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #4
See pages 249-250 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #11
Thanks for the specifics ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #51
Also read this: Harvard Business Review, March 2012 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #12
And this: page 259 of his memoir (an unnumbered page) anobserver2 Jun 2022 #13
It seems he has promoted two versions of the structure of his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #14
Note to: any of his "writing factory" writers anobserver2 Jun 2022 #15
PS Here's the NY Post article about the lawsuit a writer filed against Patterson anobserver2 Jun 2022 #16
Also: Patterson's new memoir makes no mention of any lawsuit against him by a writer anobserver2 Jun 2022 #17
Two organizations for writers in the writing factory - Author's Guild and National Writers Union anobserver2 Jun 2022 #18
Questions someone should be asking these writers in his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #19
Well, of course it doesn't ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #48
I used to read all his books but now I think he just doc03 Jun 2022 #2
I think he still writes the Cross books, but other than that, I agree. rsdsharp Jun 2022 #3
Yeah, I think now he is really much more like a publisher anobserver2 Jun 2022 #5
I meant to add: And Equity, and all the other unions anobserver2 Jun 2022 #6
"crap, about crap" is the opinion of a reviewer I read - and I agree anobserver2 Jun 2022 #7
He's following the Dumas formula ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #49
James Patterson is an anomaly anobserver2 Apr 2023 #52
I do hope you meant to educate people ExWhoDoesntCare May 2023 #55
P.S. anobserver2 Apr 2023 #54
When I have time I will write a list of discrepencies I found in this memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #8
Excerpt from above link anobserver2 Jun 2022 #9
Well, that's a first ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #50
I think Patterson did the same thing as Frey anobserver2 Jun 2022 #10
Well, every review seems to be wonderful anobserver2 Jun 2022 #20
Great news: Library Journal panned Patterson's new memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #21
More about Library Journal anobserver2 Jun 2022 #22
So glad they panned it!!! anobserver2 Jun 2022 #23
The UK's Telegraph panned it, too anobserver2 Jun 2022 #24
Well, I almost thought today was Juneteenth - but it's not anobserver2 Jun 2022 #25
From June 20, 2022 New Yorker magazine: "How James Patterson Became the World's Best-Selling Author" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #26
Deception #1 in Memoir: North America anobserver2 Jun 2022 #27
Deception #2 in Memoir: Vietnam-era Law re draft anobserver2 Jun 2022 #28
Deception #3 in Memoir: Grad school / omission anobserver2 Jun 2022 #29
Deception #4 in Memoir: Re Harvard anobserver2 Jun 2022 #30
No Masters degree - he's not a "distinguished alumni" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #31
So - what was he doing from 1970-1971? anobserver2 Jun 2022 #32
Deception #5 in Memoir: His working life before advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #33
Deception #6 in Memoir: His false channeling of John Lennon anobserver2 Jun 2022 #34
Deception #7 in Memoir: How He Got Hired in Advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #35
Deception #8 in Memoir: Misrepresenting book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #36
Deception #9 in Memoir: "Outline!" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #37
Deceptions #10 #11 and #12 in Memoir to come anobserver2 Jun 2022 #38
Will try to finish this thread today anobserver2 Jun 2022 #39
Deception #10 - Pages 114-116 / Re full page ad in the NY Times 1984 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #40
Deception #11 in Memoir: Money, and Pages 120-121 - "the fine art of negociating" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #41
Deception #12 in Memoir - re Veterans anobserver2 Jun 2022 #42
Celebrity Index - Dolly Parton anobserver2 Jun 2022 #43
James Patterson & Bill O'Reilly book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #44
A Letter from James Patterson to me, August 1985 anobserver2 Feb 2023 #45
Patterson's Memoir (June 2022) vs Patterson's letter to me (August 1985) anobserver2 Feb 2023 #46
A novel idea anobserver2 Feb 2023 #47
How to Get On NYT Best Seller List anobserver2 Apr 2023 #53
RE Vietnam Draft anobserver2 Jan 2024 #56
job offer anobserver2 Jan 2024 #57
I liked these reviews on Good Reads anobserver2 Jan 2024 #58
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