The lifespan of a fact
by John D'Agata · first published 2012
2mentions
1recommended by
2HN commenters
2017–2025first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
How negotiable is a fact in nonfiction? In 2003, an essay by John D'Agata was rejected by the magazine that commissioned it due to factual inaccuracies. That essay--which eventually became the foundation of D'Agata's critically acclaimed About a Mountain--was accepted by another magazine, but not before they handed it to their own fact-checker, Jim Fingal. What resulted from that assignment was seven years of arguments, negotiations, and revisions as D'Agata and Fingal struggled to navigate the boundaries of literary nonfiction. What emerges is a brilliant and eye-opening meditation on the rel
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Reminds me of a book I just read, The Lifespan of a Fact. Solid read going into fact checking versus telling a story and figuring out where the line should be. Definitely entertaining.
on “The Importance of Fact-Checking” ↗…articles that mention this. (I think some of it was in the biography of Wallace by DT Max.) Also, that cruise ship essay makes him look like a complete asshole. It kind of reminds me of that book, The Lifespan of a Fact, about the protracted struggle between "literary journalist" John D'Agata and fact-checker Jim Fingal. This kind of thing pisses me off, even if it's considered great writing. I've personally been interviewed…
on “The Journalistic Legacy of David Foster Wallace” ↗