Good fiction especially would seem to be at the mercy of the reader’s vulnerability. If he is en garde he is off target. He must be open to fiction at precisely those points where he has been closed to life.
Which I read as this:
The writer must be open to writing fiction at precisely those points where she has been closed to life.
which reads to me...pushing beyond your own experience. Can you do that? I guess the imagination can take you anywhere but will it read as authentic? This makes me think of pulling from 'cosmic' shared consciousness, being the conduit for that 'other' than yourself. I dunno. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteYou might enjoy reading Tobias Wolff's new novel, Old School,, where he channels Frost and other dead authors.
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