Has anyone read the new James Patterson memoir "Stories of My Life" ?

[anobserver2]

29. Deception #3 in Memoir: Grad school / omission

Last edited Tue Jun 14, 2022, 04:41 PM - Edit history (1)

(6/14 Update: I need to edit this, now that I know better what happened.)

As I recall, this memoir does not give any dates or an easy way to understand Patterson's life.

The timeline of his life as it relates to his education seems to me to be missing some material information,
because right now his education in grad school does not make sense to me. Here's why:

1) Vanderbilt University. a private university in Nashville, TN, has on its website a paragraph about James Patterson,
and here is what it states:

James Patterson, MA'70

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/alumni/about/award-distinguished-alum.php

2) In other words, that university is saying: He has completed a graduate degree - a Master of Arts degree. He finished it in 1970.

3) However, that university also says on its website, that to complete a Master of Arts in English, it takes: two years.
Here is where it says that: https://as.vanderbilt.edu/english/phd-degree-requirements/

4) So, here is what I don't understand: He was not in their MFA program - for a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Rather,
he was in their English program, which does not typically offer any terminal MA degree.

5) Consequently, what is the timeline here? He was born in March 1947. He went to Catholic school and graduated at age 18, which
makes the year 1965. Then he spent 4 years at Manhattan College, which means we are now at 1969. So, he goes to Vanderbilt in 1969 - and then, in one year only, he gets a 2-year terminal Masters of Arts degree which they typically do not award?

6) It sounds to me like: he entered Vanderbilt in 1969, and maybe did enter a 5-year program for a masters and doctorate, which at that university, is fully funded for five years. https://as.vanderbilt.edu/english/phd-admissions/

7) But, for some reason, he dropped out after only one year.

8) And then, when he became wealthy, the university decided: give this rich guy a terminal Masters of Arts now, because who knows, maybe he will donate a ton of money to the school. I say that because I can not figure how he got a 2-year terminal Masters in English from a university that does not issue such a degree, when he appears to only have been there: 1 year.


In short, there is some missing info about his educational background is what it seems to me. Missing from his memoir. Maybe he entered Vanderbilt in 1968, and not 1969? If so, that cuts into his memoir claim he worked at the Fillmore East. because that venue only opened in 1968.

Whatever went on, he should be saying: "I have an MA from Vanderbilt University." End of story. Because that would match the university's public claim.

But he never does that. Instead, he always says something about having a PhD or being admitted to a doctorate program, which can give one unfamiliar with this university the impression: I finished my Masters, and then got accepted into a doctorate program.

And it's not a "3-year" doctoral fellowship as some reviewers I read wrote. That program is generously funded for each masters/doctorate student for a full five years. And a possible 6th year.

With that kind of scholarship support, during a time of war, it is very odd to me that he: dropped out.

He says he left because he didn't want to be a teacher. I can believe that he did not want to teach.

But why on earth didn't he stay for their creative writing program and the MFA terminal degree? Was he rejected for that program? Was his writing deemed: not good enough, at that point in his life?

To sum up: I just think there is more info needed to understand the actual educational story of James Patterson - but, as usual, whatever has been omitted, you won't find in his memoir.

This may not be a material omission to some. But if you are a person seeking to understand the educational background of someone famous, then, it is a material omission.