Saturday, January 13, 2007

lies

Are good fiction writers necessarily good liars?

I've been thinking about lies lately. Lies, half-truths, white-lies, lies of omission. I've never been a good blatant liar. I have, however, perfected the game face. I'm even ok at the blinders [you know, the kind you put on to ignore the horrors in life, like we're all going to die, you're eating the flesh of a dead animal, everybody shits], although not nearly as good as many people are, which I think puts me at a disadvantage in the enjoyment of living.

I've been thinking a lot about it, and just when I think I've started to shed it—the game face—something always happens that demands even more. Lately it's the only way I imagine people can survive in this fuck of a world.

2 comments:

(S)wine said...

i don't understand why you think those things are horrors. they are, if you analyze a bit, just simply natural.

good fiction writers are good storytellers. you can stretch the "liar" word their way, if you wish, but personally, I've never clumped together the private life of an artist with his/her art. for example, Picasso--a shit of a man, but a dynamic artist; Frost--a shit of a man again, but a fabulous poet, etc. etc. this opens up a good discussion, though.

Rachel said...

Nature is horror.