Here's what JT Leroy confidante Mary Gaitskill said back in 2001 about the then-distant possibility of a hoax:

"It's occurred to me that the whole thing with Jeremy [J.T.] is a hoax, but I felt that even if it turned out to be a hoax, it's a very enjoyable one. And a hoax that exposes things about people, the confusion between love and art and publicity. A hoax that would be delightful and if people are made fools of, it would be OK—in fact, it would be useful."

Bookslut also pointed to another article this morning about the Leroy "revelations" (if you want to call them that), this time on Salon. The article was by Ayelet Waldman, and I read it, and it was okay. But then I clicked on "read all letters on this article," you know, to see what the word on the street is about Leroy and partner-in-literary-scandal James Frey today. Here is what I mostly found:

Why does Salon insist on publishing drivel from a half-baked, modestly talented mystery writer? Simple: a)she's a woman and b) if Salon didn't publish Ayelet Waldman, we'd be stuck with another overwrought, self-absorbed female writer like Anne Lamott.

AND

Congratulations, Waldman. You successfully saved face by proving you knew he/she was a phony before everyone else. Your former support of Leroy won't be embarrassing to you now because you knew it was a hoax....Oh, and also, congratulations for having a famous author for a husband. Because lord knows you wouldn't be able to publish mastabatory crap like this without his name attached to yours, and stories of trips with him to Rome within the content to remind your readers of your viewpoint's validity.

AND

You should listen to your husband more often. He is the sane one in your family.

AND

Congratulations on leading with an article so solipsistic, content-free, and unframed that it would do any teenager's first blog proud. Kindly give Mrs. Chabon* a LiveJournal account and spend my Premium member money on someone who can write. *

Normally I detest the Mrs. appellation, but in this case I suspect it's only because she is Mrs. Chabon that she's so often welcomed to contribute her maunderings. Which makes it all the more painful that Salon published a lead piece about one hoaxer with celebrity connections conning another.

Hmmmmm.

And now I'll stop posting about this shit. Maybe.