Truthful or Sincere? (Dorothy Intro) (07/13/2019)

Is Your Writing Truthful, Or Only Sincere? | The Weekly Atticus

July 13, 2019

This letter is a recap of the week at

Atticus Review

, along with some extras.

Recently, I saw an installation by the German artist Julian Rosefeldt called Manifesto. Rosefeldt’s piece features the actress Cate Blanchett, as multiple characters, performing art manifestos from the past century. The “chapters” of this film were presented on 13 screens in a large gallery hall, all playing simultaneously. As I walked through the long dark space where these manifestos were performed — the tenants of Dadaism eulogized by a woman at a funeral, a Surrealist puppeteer —  one line caught my attention and has stayed with me since, a line taken from Russian artist Kazimir Malevich’s Suprematist manifesto: Art requires truth, not sincerity.   I've been mulling this declaration over and over, this clashing of meaning and capital-A Art. When I think of the word "truth" I think of the immutable — with the caveat of knowing how perception colors reality. And when I think of "sincerity" in art, I think of earnestness, but also a striving for purity that sometimes belies truth. As a writer of creative nonfiction, truth is a primary concern for me. I might say some things are true (or "real") in any context, though I also know how our individual hearts and minds can alter what is "true" for us. Malevich described sincerity as a "veil." To me, that "veil" stems from fear — fear of what others might think, fear of what exposing our truths does to how we see ourselves.  It's a hard task to get past that fear to arrive at something true when that truth is deeply painful. I've thrown out countless drafts because I was filtering my own work but didn't realize it at the time. I just knew that I wasn't arriving at a place of authenticity. I hesitated, allowed my sincere desire for shaping narratives and my anxiety concerning how my story would be perceived to refine — or stifle — the ugliness and hurt at the heart of the truth I was attempting to communicate. Perhaps I put up that filter to protect myself.  To move forward, I've been asking myself what it is I'm truly trying to do, what it is I want to contribute in my lifetime. I'm asking, Which is worse: baring my chest to the slings and arrows of the public eye, or veiling truth out of fear? It feels like I might be arriving at my own manifesto, and it isn't a bad place to be — even if it is still a work in progress. But I know that I want my work to channel truth, unencumbered and without fear. I want to burn the veil.Thanks for reading. We’re glad you’re here.This weekend, burn the veil and then send it to us for our CNF Contest.Dorothy BendelManaging Editor

ATTICUS NEWS

COUNTDOWN: ONLY 8 DAYS LEFT!!Send us your best for the 2nd Annual CNF contest...Deadline is July 21st. First prize is $400!Judge: Ira Sukrungruang.

The Atticus Review Reading List — books we’ve featured in reviews or interviews.Add them to your list now!

THIS WEEK AT ATTICUS

There's nothing dubious about Feral Town by Adam Gustavson ... LINK

BOOK REVIEWCULTIVATING LONELINESSA Review of THE UNIFIED FIELD OF LONELINESS by Jared Marcel Pollenfrom Crowsnest BooksReview by Brian Birnbaum"The progression of Pollen’s debut collection...proves the cultivation of not only talent, but also humility..."READ ON

FICTIONSCAVENGERSby Joseph Cummins"That night he ransacked her closet of the clothing she had left behind, opened the window, and threw the clothes blindly out into the airshaft."READ ON

POETRYELIGIBLE FOR SAVEby SM StubbsFinalist in our 2019 Poetry Contest"...She left nothingfor anyone to read. My brain fills the gapswith questions as the worn carpetbeneath my stool slides away..."READ ON

POETRYDURING A POWER OUTAGE I FACE THE FACT I’D LAST 20 MINUTESPOST-APOCALYPSE IN SPITE OF ALL MY VIDEO GAME TRAININGby SM StubbsFinalist in our 2019 Poetry Contest"...and,Love, do not fear that blinking lightand high-pitched beep, that’s what healthwe have left before this world starts over."READ ON

NONFICTIONMY DEAD MOTHERby Donna Miscolta @DonnaMiscolta"What was it that pulled me away? Or pushed me away. If I took a picture of you now, I thought, would it yield the answer?"READ ON

FILM REVIEWADOLESCENT ANGST MEETS FRESH NOSTALGIAA review of Season Three of Netflix's STRANGER THINGS by Allyson Larcom and Olivia Funderburg"The third season of Stranger Things works because the Duffer Brothers manage to make their show feel familiar and new at the same time."READ ON

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