The Body of BrooklynEven before the controversy that surrounded the publication of A Million Little Pieces, the question of truth has been at the heart of memoir. From Elie Wiesel to Benjamin Wilkomirski to David Sedaris, the veracity of writers' claims has been suspect. In this fascinating and timely collection of essays, leading writers meditate on the subject of truth in literary nonfiction. As David Lazar writes in his introduction, "How do we verify? Do we care to? (Do we dare to eat the apple of knowledge and say it's true? Or is it a peach?) Do we choose to? Is it a subcategory of faith? How do you respond when someone says, 'This is really true'? Why do they choose to say it then?" The past and the truth are slippery things, and the art of non-fiction writing requires the writer to shape as well as explore. In personal essays, meditations on the nature of memory, considerations of the genres of memoir, prose poetry, essay, fiction, and film, the contributors to this provocative collection attempt to find answers to the question of what truth in nonfiction means. Contributors: John D'Agata, Mark Doty, Su Friedrich, Joanna Frueh, Ray González, Vivian Gornick, Barbara Hammer, Kathryn Harrison, Marianne Hirsch, Wayne Koestenbaum, Leonard Kriegel, David Lazar, Alphonso Lingis, Paul Lisicky, Nancy Mairs, Nancy K. Miller, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Phyllis Rose, Oliver Sacks, David Shields, and Leo Spitzer. |
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Contents
| 1 | |
Melon Man | 9 |
Memories of Christaphobia | 16 |
The Body of Brooklyn | 21 |
Distant Voice | 62 |
Remembering John Waterman | 66 |
Movies Are a Mother to Me | 86 |
On Three Fraternal Aphorisms | 98 |
Last Exit to Brooklyn | 113 |
Season of Love | 120 |
Rear Windows | 123 |
My Little Heroes | 127 |
Family Snaps | 134 |
Toward a Photographic Mishnah | 147 |
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Common terms and phrases
accent asked beautiful became become begin believe body bridge Brooklyn brother called close completely considered course dark David door early essays experience eyes face fact father feel felt film first frequently give hand happened head idea Jewish John kids kind knew later laugh learned least leave less light lived look lost means melon memory mind mother moved movie never occasionally once parents past perhaps person photograph picture play question reason remember Scott seemed seen sense side slightly someone sometimes sounds standing started stop story strange street sure talk tell thing thought tion told took trying turned understand usually voice walk wanted Waterman weight write York young
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Body of Brooklyn Volume 1 of Sightline Books |
| Author | David Lazar |
| Edition | revised |
| Publisher | University of Iowa Press, 2005 |
| ISBN | 1587294354, 9781587294358 |
| Length | 179 pages |
| Subjects | › Biography & Autobiography / General Biography & Autobiography / Jewish Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs Social Science / Children's Studies Social Science / Jewish Studies |
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