"If someone were to ask me what disaster this was that had befallen my life, I might ask if they wanted the story or the truth. I might say, by way of explanation, that an important vow of obedience was broken. I might explain that when I write a novel wrong, eventually it breaks down and stops and won't be written any more, and I have to go back and look for the flaws in its design. The problem usually lies in the relationship between the story and the truth. The story has to obey the truth, to represent it, like clothes represent the body. The closer the cut, the more pleasing the effect. Unclothed, truth can be vulnerable, ungainly, shocking. Overdressed it becomes a lie."
Rachel Cusk, Aftermath
I’ve been thinking lately about the falling out I had with my old life and my old way of seeing things. I’m not sure where this is going or what will come of it. But why not think out loud?
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to gender:hacked by Eliza Mondegreen to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.