Flannery O'Connor and Truth

[readingthedark]

"The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it."

"The basis of art is truth, both in matter and in mode."

"Faith is what someone knows to be true, whether they believe it or not."

Flannery O'Connor

Comments

[kthanna]

I'm glad to see your mood is confused. It might mean my confusion doesn't just stem from tiredness.

[readingthedark]

If I ever find out where my various states of confusion come from, I bet that will confuse me even more...

[ciunas_alainn]

To me, all three quotes coincide. Then again, I have synapses that have fused in a few interesting places that I'd like to think is evolutionary. ;)

[readingthedark]

Well, I didn't, directly, state that any of my confusion was actually linked to trying to reconcile the quotes (because I just live in delirium, the years of typing and sleep deprivation taking their toll) but you're accurate that I was implying it. To me, much of O'Connor's writing and thoughts on writing come from a strange place that's far removed from anything I do. I adore and venerate her work, but I'm not sure I could've vibed with her as a person. I think I'm soft and sentimental when compared to her, perhaps to such a degree that she would've seen me as the type of character she punished. Moreover, I'm the product of a woman who abandoned her Southern roots and a Maine yankee. That alone would've been hard for Flannery to reconcile. Throw in that I'm easily considered godless and she might've even whupped me