© 2026 New Hampshire Public Radio

Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Support local news and essential programs and you could win a trip to Ireland.

Author Admits Gang Memoir Was Fabricated

/

A memoir describing a woman's childhood on the streets of South Central Los Angeles, which included gripping stories of drugs and violence, was fabricated, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Margaret Seltzer's book, Love and Consequences: A Memoir of Hope and Survival, written under the pseudonym Margaret B. Jones, was praised for its heartfelt but tough-minded portrayal of life in South Central. Seltzer, who goes by Peggy, confessed to the Times that she made it up after her sister contacted the paper.

Riverhead Books, which published the book, is recalling it from stores.

Seltzer sat for an interview with Tell Me More to discuss the book before she confessed it was fabricated.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.