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History and the Truth of Fiction

 

April 25, 2007 | Hemmerdinger Hall at NYU | New York City

With Arthur Japin, Laila Lalami, Imma Monsó, Michael Wallner; moderated by Colum McCann

Discussed: Falling in and out of love with your characters; the invention of truth; the differences between fact and truth; and fiction writers as the unacknowledged historians of the future.

Co-sponsored by the NYU Creative Writing Program

PHOTO GALLERY
Copyright © 2007 Beowulf Sheehan/PEN American Center

 LISTEN 
• Panel discussion (1:15:31)

From the PEN Blogs

• Mindy Aloff:
This remarkable and often poignant session, attended by some 85 people, was moderated by the…[More]

• Will Heinrich:
Barnaby Sandwich rolled out of bed this morning at the crack of dawn—not literally, but for him—and traveled uptown to speak to some high…[More]

• Luke Epplin:
Colum McCann kicked off the event, A Kernel of Truth: History and the Truth of Fiction, with two fantastic quotes, which I’ll attempt to paraphrase….[More]

• Victoria Redel:
Four novelists-Arthur Japin, Laila Lalami, Michael Wallner and Imma Monso-took on the question of their relationship to historical and personal events. Colum McCann moderated the…[More]

• Martha Southgate:

“In talking about the past, we lie with every breath we draw.”—William Maxwell Just back from the first…[More]