November 25, 2010
The Difference of Value Persists
My essay “The Difference of Value Persists” is in Canadian Notes & Queries 80, on newsstands now, in which I write about Lisa Moore, Virginia Woolf, Barometer Rising, shipwrecks, placentas, Margaret Atwood, hysterics, and sock matching, and mean everything I say. The article before mine argues all the points I make in my piece, and this is one of the reasons that I love Canadian Notes & Queries. Also because it is the most beautifully designed magazine in the world right now, and I’m not even exaggerating.
Two initial thoughts after reading your (wonderful) essay. First, I will never know, or care, what makes a book important – only what makes it good. Good books are more important than important books. Secondly, I’ve always thought that the only reason fiction exists is because it gives us an idea of the real story – non-fiction is the skeleton, whereas fiction is the blood and guts. You only really get to the blood and guts if you are a fly on the wall in someone’s kitchen after the fact. Grab a textbook if you want the plot; grab a novel if you want to know what the plot actually might mean.
oh gosh – this is one fabulous read. thank you thank you.
i need to find my copy of ‘february’ stat. i loved it so on my first reading and can’t wait to read it again with your words still in my head.
*L
I’d be curious to hear your broader reaction to the Nicole Dixon piece. Did you agree with most of it, disagree with most of it, take umbrage with it, etc etc.
Oh, I know when I’m being provoked, and so I don’t like to play to it. I found the piece narrow in its scope, too personal to have the resonance it should have, made some errors (particular in conflating commerical “chick lit” with literary fiction), but contained some very true insights, good ideas into how we can demand more of our fiction. I always am surprised though when critics are so entirely fixed in their view of what fiction is to be and to do– fiction is a multitudinous beast. I also think it would be disappointing of we only wrote/read characters who are to stand for what Canadian women are or should be (and according to ?)– the world (and literature) is too interesting for that.