Fiction is uniquely able to give its readers access to the inner lives of
other people -- the characters in the fiction -- but that doesn't mean it
exposes the inner life of the author.
----- Original Message -----
From: "MC Ward" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 12:31 PM
Subject: Re: Martin Amis in The Guardian
>I agree with Alison on the self-exposure issue, i.e.,
> poetry (and acting) are the most exposing, while
> fiction controls for that (if you would agree,
> Alison--I don't want to put words in your mouth) via
> narrative. In fact, I'd say that the narrative poem is
> closer to fiction than to poetry, but the idea of
> fiction as the most exposing strikes me as absurd.
> Fiction is, if anything, a _hiding_ genre.
>
> Candice
>
> (This one's for you, Doug)
>
> Well my baby's so fine
> Even her car looks good
> From behind
> (Tom Waits)
>
>
> --- Alison Croggon <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> Personally, having written plays, fiction and
>> poetry, and having
>> witnessed many other kinds of artists at work, I
>> think this is
>> self-aggrandising crap. All art is exposing,
>> although not in the ways
>> that most people seem to think. Fiction permits you
>> many kinds of
>> masks. And I think poetry is by far the most
>> exposing of writerly
>> arts, and maybe I think acting the most exposing art
>> of all. Amis,
>> obviously, doesn't write poems.
>>
>> All best
>>
>> A
>>
>> On 2/21/07, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]>
>> wrote:
>> > One of the things I've learned about fiction - you
>> really do lay yourself open in
>> > a way that no other so-called creative artist
>> does. Most other art you're just
>> > exhibiting a particular talent, even poetry up to
>> a point, but by writing fiction
>> > you expose not only your talent but your whole
>> being, your social, sexual and
>> > psychological being and you're never more
>> vulnerable than when you do that...
>> >
>> >
>>
> http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2013359,00.html
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > This email was sent from Netspace Webmail:
>> http://www.netspace.net.au
>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>> Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
>> Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
>> Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
>>
>
>
>
>
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