REVERSAL

Gay Talese Now Says He'll Promote Book

After disavowing it earlier.

Author and acclaimed journalist Gay Talese now says he will promote his newest book, just hours after he disavowed it ahead of its publication on July 12. The original decision came after newly revealed records called his subject’s story into question, and Talese says he will not make changes to the copy as needed. “I was upset and probably said some things I didn't, and don't mean,” Talese said in a statement released by his publisher.

The Voyeur’s Motel tells the story of now-82-year-old Gerald Foos, who reportedly spied on guests in his Colorado motel from the late 1960s through the 1990s. But according to local property records, Foos sold the motel in 1980 and didn’t buy it back until eight years later. “I should not have believed a word he said,” Talese told The Washington Post. “I’m not going to promote this book,” he added. “How dare I promote it when its credibility is down the toilet?” The story gained widespread attention after it was excerpted in The New Yorker in April. Steven Spielberg has already bought the movie rights.