Barbara Kingsolver

"Memory is a complicated thing, a relative to truth, but not its twin."

— Barbara Kingsolver

American Novelist, Poet

1955 - 

Memory is a sly devil that pretends to wear the cloak of truth, but deceives us both in our youth and our age.  He helps us forget our deepest pain and yet remember the slightest hurt as if we were crushed by a gigantic rock.  We confuse the facts and remember only partial truths.  As writers and artists our memories can serve as either our greatest muse or our evil jailer. Our memories help us create powerful stories that fill the hearts of our audiences with tears.  When our memories marry our creativity gifts we give birth to a host of angels and when our memories seek a divorce we our left standing naked in the garden.

Feed your memory well.  Give him love and affection and the occasional hug.  Listen to his footsteps as he wanders through your mind.  Visit the rooms that he constructs and marvel at his genius for disguise.  Remember to forgive him when he fails you and leaves you standing in the rain.  Celebrate his victories when he makes you look good in front of those you love, but do not give him the keys to the kingdom.

Here is Barbara Kingsolver discussing the creation of fictional characters that interact with the historical figures like the Mexican artists, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, in her novel, Lacuna.

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