Her career was being monitored, prodded and shaped by a group of spies

February 6, 2023 2:33 PM

The worst literary agent? Bryan Denson begins the story by describing how journalist/literary agent Robert Eringer helped Earth Liberation Front spokesperson Craig Rosebraugh develop a book. Then things take a turn. (SLNYT)

On Clair George and Janice Pottker. Ira Einhorn previously.

Eringer recently published "How I Got Into the Spy Biz." One of his books is entitled Spookaroonie.

posted by doctornemo (8 comments total)

Liberated!
posted by chavenet at 4:15 PM on February 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

Wow. That "How I Got Into the Spy Biz" has Eringer coming across as someone completely without conscience or capacity for introspection. It's a good reminder that these apologists for the worst part of old money power exist.
posted by straw at 5:43 PM on February 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

Oh, I don't know, he kind of comes across like a snobbier Fletch. I'm sure the reality was less romantic than champagne in Monaco every day.
posted by kingdead at 6:43 PM on February 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

Ok, is Spookaroonie a reference to something? Or just a very weird word?
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:16 PM on February 6, 2023

Fuck this asshole obviously. But it's more messed up that the FBI and other police agencies have unlimited license to run undercover operations on Americans (or anyone). I think "lying to people for months or years so you can eventually put them in jail" might be justified under extreme circumstances but is a deeply fucked up thing to do and not something we should regard as an acceptable business-as-usual.
posted by grobstein at 8:53 PM on February 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

Hahahaha - this guy is a chatty, fantastic, extravagant asshole.
... Clair felt comfortable with everyone, ... He had built a career — an extremely successful one — based on conning people to betray their countries by revealing sensitive state secrets.
!!! Clair George, Mr. Iran-Contra! Mr. Guns-for-Drugs! "an extremely successful" career! Hah hah hah hah hah... hoo boy... (wipes tear) wow. That is some wiiiiiild shit, man. (You meet this Eringer dude at a ... well, anywhere, it would clearly be in your interest to turn on your heel and walk away.)
posted by From Bklyn at 1:41 AM on February 7, 2023 [4 favorites]

Christ, what an asshole.
posted by Pitachu at 8:01 AM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]

what an insane story. its amazing to me what utter audacity some people have to think they can just walk into another person's life and manipulate them completely. like, where do you get off? what kind of person starts out from that premise? (answer: this guy)
posted by supermedusa at 12:03 PM on February 7, 2023 [2 favorites]