Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Interacting with Writers
I was saw Alanis Morrisette being interviewed, the interviewer asked her, "Do you think that when men date you they are afraid they will end up in one of your songs?" She replied, "I hope so."
Dating a writer is a dangerous thing. Be it fiction, non-fiction, poetry or songs you will end up in their work. Just by interacting with them you become fodder for characters or poems. And it is not necessarily that people want to paint you in a terrible light either. We all have truths we do not want aired...okay most of us.
I once saw Julia Alvarez speak and she volunteered that her mother had initiated lawsuits against her several times. Martin Espada told me that on a couple of occassions family members had ceased speaking too him.
I am wondering if writers should come up with warning labels. I mean even the simplist interactions can lead to to permanent embodiment in their writing. Maybe before we speak with people we should hand them a business card, "Warning, I am a writer...anything you say or do may be immortalized." I mean at least we should give them a fair shot to avoid being in our work.
Shrug
I was saw Alanis Morrisette being interviewed, the interviewer asked her, "Do you think that when men date you they are afraid they will end up in one of your songs?" She replied, "I hope so."
Dating a writer is a dangerous thing. Be it fiction, non-fiction, poetry or songs you will end up in their work. Just by interacting with them you become fodder for characters or poems. And it is not necessarily that people want to paint you in a terrible light either. We all have truths we do not want aired...okay most of us.
I once saw Julia Alvarez speak and she volunteered that her mother had initiated lawsuits against her several times. Martin Espada told me that on a couple of occassions family members had ceased speaking too him.
I am wondering if writers should come up with warning labels. I mean even the simplist interactions can lead to to permanent embodiment in their writing. Maybe before we speak with people we should hand them a business card, "Warning, I am a writer...anything you say or do may be immortalized." I mean at least we should give them a fair shot to avoid being in our work.
Shrug
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