Julie Myerson - why am I not surprised that a book has materialised concerning her own son's drug issues?

[glasjam]

Read this is in today's Observer www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/01/julie-myerson-novel-drug-addiction

Does anyone else have the uncomfortable feeling that I have on learning that she is writing about her son's drug problems? I know that writers often mine their own personal experiences for material but I think she's putting her literary endeavours ahead of her son here. From what I can gather, he is still young, his drug issues are ongoing, and although he is out of the family home, surely this is risking any possible future reconcilliation? I also baulk at the way she "weaves historical research about Yelloly with her disturbing account of her son's ejection from the family home" It just smacks of middle-class-writer angst.

My cynicism is further fuelled by my very strong suspicion that Julie Myerson is the author of Living with Teenagers - but that's another story...

Custardo. Er - sorry, dear.

What did you mean then, by mummy angst, crying into the olive oil etc?

she was only unveiled today.

apparently her kids friends found out and were teasing them about it, that's why the column stopped. there were details there that made the children identifiable to their peers... never mind the girlfriend who had the abortion, poor thing.

Not that anonymous, clearly. She didn't change the location, the ages of the children, the jobs of the parents, and the kids were identified by their friend's at school.

You make a lot of assumptions custardo about the people here. And clearly have an issue with middle-class folk who might, gasp, write for a living. Can't see why you don't apply the same prejudice to JM, given she is a card-carrying member of the "journo world".

"small circulation newspaper" ?!!

You can't say that of the Guardian! It's hardly the Peckham Advertiser

Custy - just as well you don't know. It would have driven you MAD. It was all very "why don't they love me??? Why aren't they still just like toddlers?" blah blah. Fair enough that teenagers are hard - no shit? but whine whine take cash whine whine.

It was car crash reading.

Morris, the publicity storm could surely have been anticipated as a possibility. Even if it was only a 2% possibility I wouldn't have done it.

And publishing a book is with a view to its being read, no? And comes with a contractual obligation to co-operate with generating publicity.

(Guardian circ 360 000. Daily readership 1.2m)

I have this picture of custardo loading up with smug-shot before venturing onto MN to give us all a well-deserved ping up our gym-toned asses.

The scales have fallen from my eyes. Must go and cancel the organic veggie box delivery, before pulling Tabitha out of Tai Chi class.

I think we need Jake Myerson for a cosy webchat

Speak for yourself re. gym-toned asses. mine lives out in a field, and is not toned anywhere.

The Guardian sells a fraction of the amount of papers like the DM etc, and is dwarfed by The Sun.

The column was in the family section of the Saturday edition, further narrowing the reach.

I mean it's not as if she paraded her personal life in a photo splash in 'Hello' or whatever.

I wonder if Chris Cleave will continue his absolutely brilliant 'down with the kids' column now, after witnessing this shit storm. His column carries his name, and has a photo of him and his kids, albeit in fancy dress.

Somehow I can't imagine a dad taking such a pasting for betraying his kids in print.

But that makes sexism wrong, MZ, not JM right.

Oh, LWT was hideous but I'll probably be totally shite as a Mum of teenagers when my time comes. I don't really care about her parenting style though. I do care that she has prostituted her kids for money in a blatant way.
There were things detailed in her column that should never be made public. Mortifying for a kids. It isn't much different than Jordan parading hers about.

As for the ass, I wish. Lost it somewhere along with a very expensive bottle of olive oil I purchased from an old goat herder while mooching around my Tuscan estate.

"Don't worry Jakey babes, only a few hundred thousand saw it"

I'd rather have my four-year-old self photographed in The Mirror wearing daft designer clothes and clutching Posh's hand, than have my teenage soul exposed in The Guardian.

And Chris Cleave's children haven't yet reached the age where privacy is such a big issue for them - HE (unlike JM) might have the sense to stop before they do.

His column is dull, anyway.

Yes, Thready, EXACTLY.
Their teenage souls! Spot on.

I think there is a difference MZ between fondly chortling at your five year-old's obsession with batman and explaining how you pressured your teenage son's daughter into having a termination* only WEEKS after the event

*insert ghastly example here

Didn't the guy who did the Saturday column before Tim Dowling pack it in because one of his kids was worried about getting a hard time?

custy, here's one. 209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:zKUtASedgBYJ:www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2006/jul/08/familyandrela tionships.family4+%22living+with+teenagers%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=uk&client=firefox-a

there seem to be three or four columns cached online, all have becca telling julie that she should start being a parent soon...

Yes, Nicky, and I also notice that Tim Dowling hardly ever refers to his children in his column now that they are no longer little.

lol, jon ronson. i think his son just begged him to stop because, you know, he's AWFUL.

I can't imagine that when CC's kids do become teenaged and self obsessed that they will be quite so happy that their childhood prattlings and silly costumes etc are a matter of national record.

They won't always be little kids who love everything their parents do, as Jake Myerson was until he hit adolescence too, one assumes.

Tim Dowling's dog and cat have sold their version of events to The Mail. Apparently the beg him not to publish.