A conversation with several other writers sparked an interesting question: "if you write an essay about committing illegal acts, could you face criminal charges?" I'm no lawyer, but I'm definitely a rule-follower, and my first thought was, "why the heck would you own up to something illegal and make that confession public?" The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that there are plenty examples of authors do this, both in memoir and essay form, and as far as I know, none of them been arrested as a result of what they wrote. I'm sure this depends on the severity of the crime and how long ago it was. I can certainly see someone getting busted for over-sharing on a blog or Twitter if it was recent and really egregious. Plus, bloggers don't have the benefit of a publisher's legal team to advise on what details may cross the line. I can also see this happening in other parts of the world where someone's political views or sexual orientation could endanger them. I'm not encouraging anyone to commit a crime so they can write a tell-all essay or memoir, but I can certainly see why it would make deliciously readable material and why authors might want to 'fess up as a form of therapy, a way to unburden themselves of guilt and painful secrets. Here are a few examples:
- AIDS Killed My Partner—But It Was His Decision To Die
- Edible Weed: Marijuana Chicken Curry
- My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
- Susan Shapiro's memoirs