The New Republic (subscription-only) reports that humorist, memoirist, monologist David Sedaris embellishes. A number of otherwise sensible commentators, like Slate’s Jack Shafer, jump on the fellow. Their point: If you laugh, it’s not journalism. If it has a coherent beginning, middle and end, it’s too good to be true.
[Casablanca: Captain Renault: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” as a croupier hands Renault a pile of money (from imdb.com)]
These people have forgotten their local library’s Dewey classification system. Fiction is sorted by author’s last name. Non-fiction, numbered 0 to 1000, includes science but also poetry and essays and oversized art books. And religion, history and other books of faith.
This manufactured controversy finally moved a columnist to say, “Geez, guys, lighten up.” It’s a favorite dude, Jon Carroll of San Francisco. As he writes this morning,
Next you’ll be telling me that the bed never really did fall on James Thurber’s father. …”
If ol’ Jim was alive today, picture all the dysfunctions he’d be accused of making light of.
But whatever makes it the better story, eh? -30-
