Josh, this fine piece comes to a really strong close in its final paragraphs. I'm wondering about the concluding paragraph. Are you arguing there for disregarding the art of memoir, the crafting of of effect, how it "lands"?
Thank you, Jay. Not at all. I'm getting at the original motive for writing, which begins with that need to explain it to yourself, to tell the truth. I suppose I find that Wolff's craft sometimes takes over, and all that we're left with is the effect (I marked a few examples of that). But there are other times, such as in "Thanksgiving Special" and "Last Shot," when I think Wolff's need to entrance and impress the reader dovetails with an underlying sincerity. We have to contend with the readers of our time, even we're trying to reach beyond certain trends. If we can do that while keeping our compass pointed toward truth-telling and sincerity, I think we're on the right path.
I was uncertain. "[T]he original motive for writing, which begins with that need to explain it to yourself, to tell the truth," is what I first heard you saying, on which I entirely agree. Explaining it to myself is very much the experience I've been having, particularly, as I've been writing Reason for Being in the World. To the tell the truth, rather than just explain it to yourself, is one of the sources of the art of memoir, where the craft may be needed to achieve that sense of truth. It seemed at the end you might be pressing to prioritize the achievement of understanding for oneself over the art. You clarify well here that you're talking about the artistic effort in some cases actually diminishing the sense of truth, and that's an excellent point.
Josh, this fine piece comes to a really strong close in its final paragraphs. I'm wondering about the concluding paragraph. Are you arguing there for disregarding the art of memoir, the crafting of of effect, how it "lands"?
Thank you, Jay. Not at all. I'm getting at the original motive for writing, which begins with that need to explain it to yourself, to tell the truth. I suppose I find that Wolff's craft sometimes takes over, and all that we're left with is the effect (I marked a few examples of that). But there are other times, such as in "Thanksgiving Special" and "Last Shot," when I think Wolff's need to entrance and impress the reader dovetails with an underlying sincerity. We have to contend with the readers of our time, even we're trying to reach beyond certain trends. If we can do that while keeping our compass pointed toward truth-telling and sincerity, I think we're on the right path.
Did you hear something else?
I was uncertain. "[T]he original motive for writing, which begins with that need to explain it to yourself, to tell the truth," is what I first heard you saying, on which I entirely agree. Explaining it to myself is very much the experience I've been having, particularly, as I've been writing Reason for Being in the World. To the tell the truth, rather than just explain it to yourself, is one of the sources of the art of memoir, where the craft may be needed to achieve that sense of truth. It seemed at the end you might be pressing to prioritize the achievement of understanding for oneself over the art. You clarify well here that you're talking about the artistic effort in some cases actually diminishing the sense of truth, and that's an excellent point.
https://drgvloewen.substack.com/p/on-truth-and-lie-in-a-virtual-sense?utm_source=publication-search
You and your readership may be interested in this commentary - cheers, Greg