Hi Aimee! I love this sort of genre-bending / questioning form. Speculative Memoir. Speculative Autobiography. Fictional Nonfiction. Fictionalized Biography. Love it all! The last book I read in this "genre" was Moonglow by Chabon. On the dust jacket blurb of my edition is this perfect little sentence that describes this form of storytelling to me:
"A lie that tells the truth, a work of fictional nonfiction, an autobiography wrapped in a novel disguised as a memoir."
A subject quite worthy of further discussion. You likely don’t remember and shouldn’t but this was my authors note to “A Handsome American, the Ed Cooper Story”.
Author's Note
The story of Ed Cooper is true. When writers attempt to write a story based on the truth,
they must first take all that they themselves have seen and know it to be a fact. Next
comes research and documented proof which may or may not be true. And, finally there
is "hearsay" - that which people tell you is factual. All this is put in a bowl, mashed and
ground, and spread onto the pages in as close a semblance as possible. Then a little
(poetic) political license is taken.
Therefore, the story of Ed Cooper is true, at least as far as I know. It's the best I could do.
(Borrowed word for word from Ralph Hefler, author of Modoc)
Such an interesting and critical question. Speaking from my own personal bias, my first reaction would be to use Maxine Hong Kingston as a guide. I remember when she and David Ulin addressed the issue in a discussion at the LATFOB one year, and she explained why she came down on the side of nonfiction. (The judges for the National Book Award, and those of the National Book Critics Circle Awards seemed to agree with her choice.) But when you bring up Goldman's Say her Name...matters blur. I have no doubt that you'll find the right answer for your wonderful book before its birth.
Such an interesting and critical question. Speaking from my own personal bias, my first reaction would be to use Maxine Hong Kingston as a guide. I remember when she and David Ulin addressed the issue in a discussion at the LATFOB one year, and she explained why she came down on the side of nonfiction. (The judges for the National Book Award, and those of the National Book Critics Circle Awards seemed to agree with her choice.) But when you bring up Goldman's Say her Name...matters blur. I have no doubt that you'll find the right answer for your wonderful book before its birth.
Hi Aimee! I love this sort of genre-bending / questioning form. Speculative Memoir. Speculative Autobiography. Fictional Nonfiction. Fictionalized Biography. Love it all! The last book I read in this "genre" was Moonglow by Chabon. On the dust jacket blurb of my edition is this perfect little sentence that describes this form of storytelling to me:
"A lie that tells the truth, a work of fictional nonfiction, an autobiography wrapped in a novel disguised as a memoir."
The marketers did their job there. :)
Can't wait to read what you are cooking up!
Lucas
Aimee,
A subject quite worthy of further discussion. You likely don’t remember and shouldn’t but this was my authors note to “A Handsome American, the Ed Cooper Story”.
Author's Note
The story of Ed Cooper is true. When writers attempt to write a story based on the truth,
they must first take all that they themselves have seen and know it to be a fact. Next
comes research and documented proof which may or may not be true. And, finally there
is "hearsay" - that which people tell you is factual. All this is put in a bowl, mashed and
ground, and spread onto the pages in as close a semblance as possible. Then a little
(poetic) political license is taken.
Therefore, the story of Ed Cooper is true, at least as far as I know. It's the best I could do.
(Borrowed word for word from Ralph Hefler, author of Modoc)
Such an interesting and critical question. Speaking from my own personal bias, my first reaction would be to use Maxine Hong Kingston as a guide. I remember when she and David Ulin addressed the issue in a discussion at the LATFOB one year, and she explained why she came down on the side of nonfiction. (The judges for the National Book Award, and those of the National Book Critics Circle Awards seemed to agree with her choice.) But when you bring up Goldman's Say her Name...matters blur. I have no doubt that you'll find the right answer for your wonderful book before its birth.
Such an interesting and critical question. Speaking from my own personal bias, my first reaction would be to use Maxine Hong Kingston as a guide. I remember when she and David Ulin addressed the issue in a discussion at the LATFOB one year, and she explained why she came down on the side of nonfiction. (The judges for the National Book Award, and those of the National Book Critics Circle Awards seemed to agree with her choice.) But when you bring up Goldman's Say her Name...matters blur. I have no doubt that you'll find the right answer for your wonderful book before its birth.