Dear Mr. Lehrer,
As anyone who reads this blog or listens to my podcast knows, I loved Imagine: How Creativity Works, by Jonah Lehrer. You knew this because I told you when I invited you on my podcast. I thought you were brilliant.
When I read your quote from Galleycat’s article here, tears actually filled my eyes. I feel betrayed. I don’t get it. You explained why you included fabricated Dylan quotes in the book by saying, “The quotes in question either did not exist, were unintentional misquotations, or represented improper combinations of previously existing quotes. But I told Mr. Moynihan that they were from archival interview footage provided to me by Dylan’s representatives. This was a lie spoken in a moment of panic. When Mr. Moynihan followed up, I continued to lie, and say things I should not have said.”
My question to you, Mr. Lehrer, is why lie in the first place? I assume you couldn’t get Dylan’s people to get back to you. But the Dylan story was great only if it were true.
What baffles me is how did you think you’d get away with it? It’s not like Dylan wouldn’t find out. It’s a NYT bestseller for crying out loud. I’m angry because you took my trust in your science, you took my time and you took my money.
How can I ever believe anything you write now?
Katie Davis