mutant message downunder controversy

i feel it's necessary to share this on my blog after posting a two-part book review of mutant message downunder by marlo morgan.

i read a 1991 version of the book, which was self-published. i loved the story and wanted to publish a post to be called "lessons from the real people."

in googling the author's name to learn more about her, i learned that mutant message downunder is a work of fiction and not a true account. marlo morgan was confronted by many inconsistencies and errors after she published her book, especially by australians.

her book sold like hotcakes in the u.s., however, and a major u.s. publisher wanted to republish it under its imprint.

eight aboriginal elders flew to the u.s. to discuss the matter with the publisher. morgan was forced to admit that the work was a product of her imagination and therefore fiction. the 1994 edition was sold as a piece of fiction.

i felt very disappointed to learn this. it's similar to the controversy surrounding carlos castaneda's books. there's no external verification that don juan matus even existed--although i must say that castaneda's writing, if fiction, was much more sophisticated than morgan's.

i believe marlo morgan FELT this book was true, even if it never happened. it taps into an archetype, a human need to believe that somewhere there are people who are innocent, pure, wise, and holy. noble savages, perhaps. why do we need to believe this? to lessen our guilt? to give us hope? i don't know. but it's powerful. i mentioned i was reading the book to nearly a dozen people, and not one of them responded with any knowledge of the controversy.

what tripped her up were things like writing that australians don't have screens on their windows and that they use quarters in pay phones. much of what she wrote about aboriginal culture, such as their naming practices and using dreamcatchers, is actually closer to native american practices than aboriginal.

if you want to learn more, google marlo morgan and read some of the links.