Everything about Literary Journalism totally explained
Creative nonfiction (also known as literary or narrative nonfiction) is a genre of
writing which uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other
nonfiction, such as
technical writing or
journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but isn't primarily written in service to its craft. As a
genre, creative nonfiction is still relatively young, and is only beginning to be scrutinized with the same critical analysis given to
fiction and
poetry.
Characteristics and definition
For a text to be considered creative nonfiction, it must be factually accurate, and written with attention to
literary style and technique. “Ultimately, the primary goal of the creative nonfiction writer is to communicate information, just like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads like fiction.” Forms within this genre include
personal essays,
memoir,
travel writing,
food writing,
biography,
literary journalism, and other hybridized essays. Critic Chris Anderson claims that the genre can be understood best by splitting it into two subcategories: the personal essay and the journalistic essay, but the genre is currently defined by its lack of established conventions.
Literary critic Barbara Lounsberry in her book
The Art of Fact suggests four constitutive characteristics of the genre, the first of which is “Documentable subject matter chosen from the real world as opposed to ‘invented’ from the writer’s mind.” By this, she means that the topics and events discussed in the text verifiably exist in the natural world. The second characteristic is “Exhaustive research,” which she claims allows the writer “novel perspectives on their subjects” and “it also permits them to establish the credibility of their narratives through verifiable references in their texts.” The third characteristic that Lounsberry claims is crucial in defining the genre is “The scene”. She stresses the importance of describing and revivifying the context of events in contrast to the typical journalistic style of objective reportage. The fourth and final feature she suggests is “Fine writing: a literary prose style”. “Verifiable subject matter and exhaustive research guarantee the nonfiction side of literary nonfiction; the narrative form and structure disclose the writer’s artistry; and finally, its polished language reveals that the goal all along has been literature.”
Creative nonfiction may be structured like traditional fiction narratives, as is true of
Fenton Johnson's story of love and loss, "Geography of the Heart," and
Virginia Holman's "Rescuing Patty Hearst." When book-length works of creative nonfiction follow a story-like arc, they're sometimes called narrative nonfiction. Creative nonfiction often escapes traditional boundaries of narrative altogether, as happens in the bittersweet banter of
Natalia Ginzburg's essay, "He and I," and in
John McPhee's hypnotic tour of Atlantic City, "In Search of Marvin Gardens."
Ethics
In recent years, several well-publicized incidents within the United States have called into question the truthfulness and factual standards of creative nonfiction. Given its different styles and characteristics, it isn't held to the same journalistic ethics and standards as direct reporting or news publications. Its allowances of artistic license to authors are not standardized, and some have accused writers of glorification of interpretation, and even of fabrication. A recent example of these incidents is the
James Frey controversy in regards to his memoir
A Million Little Pieces, published in 2003. In his memoir, Frey claimed to certain experiences, which were revealed in 2006 to be fabrications.
Literary criticism
To date, there's very little published
literary criticism of nonfiction works, despite the fact that the genre is often published in respected publications such as "The New Yorker", "Vanity Fair", and others. A handful of the most widely recognized writers in the genre such as
Gay Talese,
Tom Wolfe,
John McPhee,
Joan Didion and
Norman Mailer, have seen some criticism on their more prominent works. “Critics to date, however, have tended to focus on only one or two of each writer’s works, to illustrate particular critical points.” These few analyses of these few pieces are hardly in-depth or as comprehensive as the criticism and analyses of their fictional contemporaries. As the popularity of the genre continues to expand, many nonfiction authors and a handful of literary critics are calling for more extensive literary analysis of the genre.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Literary Journalism'.
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