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RALEIGH, N.C., Jan 27, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer said it has determined the writer known as Nasdijj is not a Navajo but rather a white man from Lansing, Mich.
Nasdijj has written three acclaimed memoirs detailing a brutal childhood in the Southwest and the deaths of two adopted sons from AIDS and fetal alcohol syndrome.
In reality, the newspaper says, Nasdijj is really Timothy P. Barrus, who is of Scandinavian descent and grew up in a solidly middle-class neighborhood.
Barrus, 55, was unavailable for comment.
The revelation came as the publishing world was still reeling from revelations James Frey was less than truthful in his best-selling, "A Million Little Pieces."
A spokeswoman for Nasdijj's publisher, Ballantine, said the company is disturbed by the revelation.
The books in question include "The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams," "The Boy and His Dog Are Sleeping" and "Geronimo's Bones." The author claimed to be the son of a Navajo woman and white cowboy who grew up in migrant labor camps.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
