Last night I listened to the story "Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde" on This American Life. It was a compelling story. Actually, I don't listen to This American Life that often, but when I do, I usually find it to be telling a compelling story.
They don't just tell you what happened. They know how to tell a story. They develop characters and build suspense. And they do all that while telling true stories.
Often, books and movies are based on a true story. They alter the facts in order to make the story more compelling.
Druids are storytellers and historians. What if in our commitment as historians, we were committed to telling true stories, without adding embellishments to make them more dramatic? I don't think fiction should be banned. I like fiction. But I think fiction should be clearly labelled as such, and people telling true stories should be very conscientious about sticking to the truth. Perhaps my Quaker background comes into play here -- truth is a core Quaker value.
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