Author: The JT LeRoy Story

“You know, JT LeRoy does not exist. But he lives.”—Laura Albert in Interview

Take a riveting and unprecedented look at one of the great cultural hoaxes of our time. Jeff Feuerzeig’s new documentary Author centers around late-1990s cult literary sensation JT LeRoy, a gender-fluid teen who became a darling of both the underground and mainstream celebrity culture (filmmaker Gus Van Sant, actress Winona Ryder, and musician Billy Corgan, among others, factor into the narrative). The film captures the chaos that ensues when LeRoy is unmasked by reporters as Laura Albert, a 40-year-old Brooklyn mom. One of our best documentarians of underground culture, Feuerzeig (The Devil and Daniel Johnston) is perfectly suited to tell this unbelievable and dramatically complex tale, making full use of revealing interviews with Albert and shockingly frank archival diary entries and voicemails—including an unforgettable message from 90s rock star, actress, and über JT fan Courtney Love. (110 mins., DCP)