Monday, May 17, 2021

The heart of the story

 So, one way to approach a story -- to evaluate how good it is, how graceful and efficient -- is to ask, "What is the heart of you, dear story?" (Or, channeling Dr. Seuss, "Why are you bothering telling me this?")

That is: "When all is said and done, what do you claim to live by, story? I need to know this so that I can see how well your non-normative aspects are serving the heart of you."

-- George Saunders, "The Heart of the Story," from A Swim in the Pond in the Rain

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