1C: James Hogue, Frank Abagnale, Clark Rockefeller and . . . [1C students: see Rockefeller links to read]

When we discuss The Runner by David Samuels we will we will turn to specific examples from the book.  Here are some questions we might consider. Those underlined and in bold would be good ones to study in preparation for the in-class essay.

1. Consider the book's title and the first paragraph of the narrative and note that James Hogue's story is not told in chronological order.  Why do you think Samuels opened his book (with that first paragraph and) with that scene?

2.  We think of liars as the ones telling the lie, but Samuels says Hogue preferred to let "other people do the talking" (4).  Why would this be an important feature of his persona?  Later, Samuels claims, "Hogue didn't care much for telling stories about himself" (36).  What is beginning to emerge regarding Hogue or liars, at least from the point of view of Samuels?

3. David Eckley says that "[Hogue] was a sweetheart, but dangerous in his own way. . . .He just can't seem to come to reality" (5)  Do you agree with Eckley or not?

4. Samuels says that "[Hogue] only fooled people who wanted to be fooled" (6).  This sounds like something Ricky Jay might have said when he was speaking with Errol Morris.  (Find where Jay says this.)  How might Jay's remarks help us understand someone like Hogue?  You may also want to see Samuels's remarks about Dr. Alaia as "a sucker" (24).

5. I am trying to find the reason that Samuels wrote The Runner.  What is his purpose?  See what Samuels says on page 9: "Hogue also did what all liars do, which is to diminish the universal store of truthfulness . . . and establish meaningful connections to others" (9).  Do you think that this is the book's heart, or is it something else?  Explain.

6. "Cindy's habit of telling tall tales is familiar," Samuels writes (13). Why does he tell us this?  

7.  Samuels wonders "Perhaps one reason that James Hogue has held my interest the past ten years is that I still can't figure out exactly what he was up to, at the same time as he reminded me strongly of myself." (14).  Do you see a connection, or a similarity, between the two men?  Explain.   

8.  Let's look at Hogue's family life.  What was his relationship with his sister?  What were his mother's habits?  How do all of these things tell us about Hogue--if anything?

9. Let's stop and take some time with Chapter V. "The Escape Artist."  I think of this as Samuels's "big idea" for the book.  Do you think he is overreaching? Or does he hit the right note and successfully make his story about Hogue serve a larger purpose?  Explain.

10.What is the theme of The Runner?  Offer several examples from the book in support of your position.

11. Is The Runner a story of class consciousness?  Would someone from the upper class engage in the same conduct as Hogue did?  Or to look at this question from another angle: would Hogue have lived his life as he did--falsifying his academic record, his name, and stealing--if he was wealthy?  Explain.

12.  Was Hogue's greatest crime against himself or others?  Or his harm was equal to both?  Explain. 

13.  Samuels identifies with Hogue.  (See question #7, above.)  Does this cause him to lose his objectivity in telling Hogue's story?  Or does it allow him to better explain who Hogue is?

14.  Is The Runner principally a story about one man, that is, Hogue, or is it about the American characteristic of remaking or redefining or self-invention?  Explain.

15. Come up with three questions of your own--not one raised above--about The Runner. Then, each group must come up with three questions that they will put on the board for further discussion. 

16. Samuels claims, "In a meritocratic society, acceptance to a university like Princeton is not simply a validation of the person you were when you applied. Rather, it means that you are free to become someone new. In turn, the university will testify to the social legitimacy of your actions by putting its name on your diploma. Your troubled or unworthy old self can be safely discarded in favor of the aura conferred by the institution and by the collective achievements of its well-placed graduates around the globe. Later on, if you wish, you can reveal yourself as you were, and share the embarrassing details of your origins and upbringing." (128)  Has Samuels made a successful argument in The Runner for this claim? Explain with specific examples from the book.

17. Do you trust Samuels reporting of Hogue's penchant to lie? Explain with specific examples from the book.

18. What does Errol Morris have to say about the nature of lying? Are his observations pertinent to the story of James Hogue? Explain with evidence from Morris's columns and The Runner.

And here's the trailer for  Con Man, a film about Hogue. Maybe we should watch it.  What do you think? (An earlier viewer, Gerardo of English 1C, spots news reader Kent Manahan. A tip of the hat to Gerardo for his careful observation.) 

And the trailer for Catch Me if You Can, the film about Frank Abagnale, Jr.:

Can't leave out the opening credits for it:

Anyone find other stories like James Hogue's or Frank Abagnale, Jr.'s out there?  Yes, I did.  I have been following the Christian Karl "Clark Rockefeller" Gerhartsreiter story, a tale much darker than either Hogue's or Abagnale's.  Gerhartsreiter, pictured below, lived in a guest house behind a large home in San Marino and convicted in August 2013 of murdering his landlord, and then burying the body in the backyard.  The whereabouts of the victim's wife is unknown.

[***]1C STUDENTS: Read, Listen & Watch links marked with [***] re: CLARK ROCKEFELLER

"From left: Christian Gerhartsreiter, high-school student, late 70s; Christopher Chichester, U.S.C.-campus denizen, mid-80s; Christopher Crowe, Wall Street executive, late 80s or early 90s; Clark Rockefeller, divorcé and father, 2008. Left, from TZ Munich; second from right, courtesy of Cosgrove/Meurer Productions, Inc.; right, by Essdras M. Suarez/The Boston Globe." -- from Vanity Fair, January 2009

[***]NPR: 30 year Con from German Kid to Rockefeller Scion," July 10, 2011[Radio broadcast is about 10. Listen to the broadcast and read the page.]

Book Review: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit" by Mark Seal. Review by Denise Hamilton.  Los Angeles Times, June 3, 2011

"The Man in the Rockefeller Suit" by Mark Seal. Vanity Fair, January 2009

[***]“Clark Rockefeller” Found Guilty: the Murder Verdict—and What Became of the Victim’s Wife by Mark Seal, Vanity Fair, April 12, 2013

"Rockefeller Impostor gets 27-to-life for San Marino Man's Murder," Los Angeles Times, August 15, 2013

[***]"Exclusive Video: Phony Rockefeller Speaks After Being Sentenced-to-27 Years to Life in Prison," Pasadena Star News, August 15, 2013[INTERVIEW is about 20 minutes. Watch the interview and read the article.]

If you know of other con artists, please post in comments section.  From semesters past, students have learned that Hogue-like stories are not all that unusual.

Ivette Gonzalez kept her eyes on the news with Twitter.  She got news of a story that she wanted us to see.  I'm glad she did.  Sounds like the illustrious James "The Runner" Hogue.

This time it is a basketball player.  Here's the story:

22 year-old man posed as 16 year-old high school student [link broken]

Angela Liu found a similar story about a man who . . . well, just go to this link and find out. [link broken]

Look what Laura Noonan found: "A 33-year-old woman is charged with stealing her daughter's identity to attend high school and join the cheerleading team."  Want to learn more?  Click here.

Mike Tuano wonders, "Now imagine if Hogue was a little more clever, and decided to use his smarts and con-artist specialty to lean towards a more 'financial' gain .  .  .  . He would probably end up being like this guy [Victor Lustig]."  Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower--twice.  Yes, you read that right. Twice. To learn more go to Wikipedia's site on Lustig and Biography's profile of him.

In December 2014 I read about a teenager who said he made $72 million in stock trades. Not true, it turns out.

Anyone want to find more James Hogue wannabees or types or poseurs extraordinaires?  Let the games begin.  Post links in comments.