Friday, April 2, 2010

A Question of Truth

I have read that an author of serious fiction should always tell the truth in stories. But I don't know what that means. And the practice of embellishing a character in a story so as to present a 'larger truth' is ludicrous. I'm laughing at the thought.

The ancient question, "What is truth?" remains always unanswered satisfactorily, and the notion that Truth is a synonym for Beauty is as meaningless as saying "Religion is Crap, Crap Religion."

It would seem that my former cynicism has returned.

Portraying a 'fictional' story character truthfully is oxymoronic and can only be accomplished when the character is the author. And even then, recognizing and understanding the 'truth' in one's self is probably impossible due to instinctive narcissistic bias. We are not what we subjectively believe ourselves to be.

You are not.

I am not.

Yet, good fiction is so wonderfully true to life.

Right?

1 comment:

  1. Good to see you back, Gene; and somehow I knew that your first subject out of the gate would be "truth." If truth is not absolute, then is a lie?

    As well, I'm happy to hear that you are living in what you consider to be a good place, and with people who love you.

    For now, I've informed my boys to turn around and head back home (as if the notion of "home" can be proven true). Just don't be gone too long again, because there are no second chances where I and the boys are concerned. That's the truth.

    AVT

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