The art of non-fiction

I went to a creative non-fiction reading by Kim Van Alkemade tonight. She is a professor at Ship. I had never considered nonfiction "literature" before today. I was amazed by the beauty of language and craft of story within the confines of actual experiences. I have been so busy creating pure fiction inspired by one or two semi-true events, that non-fiction blipped right off my radar. My favorite thing she said in regard to researching for creative non-fiction: "Honor how you remember it." That, I realized, is how you get a true story colored with the beauty of language--through the real, visceral memory of your mind.

I don't believe that I will switch over to non-fiction, but I will rely on my memory more for description rather than conjurations. Dr. Van Alkemade read "Hitching" published in The Rambler and "Spinster Punk." Her writing was certainly laudatory. Her life was clearly one that would produce enough inspiration for writing, my goodness. There is an excerpt of her one story at the journal link provided.