“Samuel Clemens wrote autobiographical novels under the pseudonym “Mark Twain,” including “Roughing It,” which “follows the travels of young Mark Twain through the Wild West during the years 1861–1867. After a brief stint as a Confederate cavalry militiaman, he joined his brother Orion Clemens, who had been appointed Secretary of the Nevada Territory, on a stagecoach journey west. Twain consulted his brother’s diary to refresh his memory and borrowed heavily from his active imagination for many stories in the novel.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughing_It)

In both cases authors used pseudonyms to publish autobiographical novels that were “fictionalized but still based upon actual occurrences.” In both cases these novels presented fictionalized adventures of their pseudonymous characters. Does anyone claim that the adventures of “Mark Twain” literally occurred in the life of Samuel Clemens, because “Mark Twain” said they happened? If not, then why should anyone claim that the adventures of Bob Greene literally occurred in the life of Frank Marshall Davis, because “Bob Greene” said they happened? Fair weather principles indicate bias.

You will find that contrary to fairy tales drifting around the blogosphere, Davis never “admitted” that any of the events from his novel actually happened in real life. You will find that critics are trying to railroad Davis with trumped-up evidence, just like Mike Nifong tried to railroad the Duke lacrosse team, Andrew Brietbart tried to railroad Shirley Sherrod, and Dr. Hatfill was railroaded in the anthrax letters case.

The issue is rather simple: Either you literally attribute fictional characters’ stories to their authors’ real lives, or you accept that fictional characters’ stories are fiction. By definition, even semi-autobiographical novels are fictionalized accounts of their authors’ own lives. Research should reveal that ALL fictional narrators of such novels claim the events are true, although their actual authors make no such claims!

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.” – Abraham Lincoln