Comments on: A Million Little Untruthinesses http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/ K.G. Schneider's blog on librarianship, writing, and everything else Sun, 20 May 2012 03:37:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Miriam Bobkoff http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/comment-page-1/#comment-1939 Miriam Bobkoff Mon, 16 Jan 2006 04:39:24 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/#comment-1939 I think an account in which every detail is told would be unreadable. Once or twice I've kept a list of reference questions as they come up at the desk, to see the shape of things. As soon as I get hung up on writing down every last internet signup and where's- the-Plaza-from-here, I lose track of what I'm really trying to see. Lots of people were there, in reality, in the events described in my friend's memoir; and only a selection of them appear in scenes in the book. If I didn't loom as large on somebody else's stage as I might have imagined, well, where's the surprise in that? I think an account in which every detail is told would be unreadable. Once or twice I’ve kept a list of reference questions as they come up at the desk, to see the shape of things. As soon as I get hung up on writing down every last internet signup and where’s- the-Plaza-from-here, I lose track of what I’m really trying to see.
Lots of people were there, in reality, in the events described in my friend’s memoir; and only a selection of them appear in scenes in the book. If I didn’t loom as large on somebody else’s stage as I might have imagined, well, where’s the surprise in that?

]]> By: K.G. Schneider http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/comment-page-1/#comment-1938 K.G. Schneider Sat, 14 Jan 2006 16:34:17 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/#comment-1938 Which universe, Miriam--writers or librarians? "Shaped" versus "made-up" can be a very fine line; does every character in the room need to be present? Or maybe the question is, what happens to the truth of the tale if a character is removed? It sounds as if your colleague shaped the story to the point where significant facts or outcomes were distorted. Though any family story could have many Rashamon angles! Which universe, Miriam–writers or librarians?

“Shaped” versus “made-up” can be a very fine line; does every character in the room need to be present? Or maybe the question is, what happens to the truth of the tale if a character is removed? It sounds as if your colleague shaped the story to the point where significant facts or outcomes were distorted. Though any family story could have many Rashamon angles!

]]> By: Miriam Bobkoff http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/comment-page-1/#comment-1937 Miriam Bobkoff Sat, 14 Jan 2006 13:51:01 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/#comment-1937 I posted about it too (didn't everyone in our small universe??). I have a friend who wrote a memoir about events in which I participated, and she left me out of the book. Yikes, I said, how could you leave me out, I was THERE. OK, she said, I'll put you back in; and she chose an aspect which furthered her shaped reality. I've looked at nonfiction differently ever since. Of COURSE it's shaped--but still, not made up. I posted about it too (didn’t everyone in our small universe??). I have a friend who wrote a memoir about events in which I participated, and she left me out of the book. Yikes, I said, how could you leave me out, I was THERE. OK, she said, I’ll put you back in; and she chose an aspect which furthered her shaped reality. I’ve looked at nonfiction differently ever since. Of COURSE it’s shaped–but still, not made up.

]]> By: Bill Drew http://freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/comment-page-1/#comment-1936 Bill Drew Wed, 11 Jan 2006 14:50:39 +0000 http://www.freerangelibrarian.com/2006/01/10/a-million-little-untruthinesses/#comment-1936 I just posted a note about this on our library blog. We are going to link to the post from the catalog record for the book. This could be valuable in teaching critical thinking. I just posted a note about this on our library blog. We are going to link to the post from the catalog record for the book. This could be valuable in teaching critical thinking.

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