What is creative nonfiction? To use a definition from a creative nonfiction website, it is:

Dramatic, true stories using scenes, dialogue, close, detailed descriptions and other techniques usually employed by poets and fiction writers about important subjects - from politics, to economics, to sports, to the arts and sciences, to racial relations, and family relations.

Essentially, creative nonfiction uses literary skills to tell a true story. This is different from narrative or literary journalism--which uses narrative techniques to report--and from research nonfiction, which is more concerned with presenting accurate research, and not quite as interested in capturing the reader's interest with a story.

Some examples of narrative nonfiction writers: Joan Didion's Slouching towards Bethlehem, Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and a few recent and controversial books: Augusten Burroughs' Running with Scissors and James Frey's A Million Little Pieces.

Having written both fiction and nonfiction, I find that nonfiction is much more difficult for me. True, you skip the challenge of creating characters, a plot, and a narrative arc (plot points that lead to a climax and then a resolution) all on your own. You do, to some extent, have your characters, your plot, your scenes, your back story already in place. Easy right? I wish.

I think writing a book is like having sex with your reader. The narrative constantly needs moments of tension that build intrigue, and ultimately lead towards an exciting climax and a satisfying resolution. In fiction, a writer can manufacture this. Need some witty dialog? Make it up? Suddenly realize that the protagonist needs to have some kind of phobia of skyscrapers? Go for it!

In nonfiction however, we must work with the awkward tools that we have to construct a good story. And those awkward tools come from our memory...not always the most reliable resource. Can anyone ever remember exactly what someone else said even ten minutes ago without taking notes or recording dialog? How then, do we write an honest story without boring the reader? The most honest story would be a listed narrative: Well this happened, I think, and this happened, I'm pretty sure, and then I think she said this, but I could be wrong...

But no, we must write definitively; we must write with bold strokes; we must choose a color for the front door, even if we can't remember it. And then we get into the important issue of honest writing, and this is where James Frey and Augusten Burroughs get us into trouble with their sensationalist memoirs. So, the question is, how do we negotiate being honest with being a good story teller?

More on this soon.

Matt and I just traveled to Iowa last week to attend the funeral of his 29-year-old brother-in-law, Gavin Granneman. We just rode across Iowa in RAGBRAI with him a few weeks ago, and we're all devastated by his loss. He was killed in a car accident, along with three other friends, on the way home from a football game on September 15th.

I had a great time with him over the course of RAGBRAI; he was one of the most vivacious, gutsy, and wild characters I've ever met. But he was also really loving and understanding too. We talked about our numb hands and sore asses quite a bit more than I'd like to admit.

Matt and I had an amazing time over our past week in Iowa. The Granneman family amazed us both with their strength and emotional honesty. The service was inspiring, uplifting, and even funny at times: I mean, the pastor used the word "cheese-tastic" in the sermon--isn't that great? Over 800 people attended both the visitation and the funeral.

I remember being at the visitation with slide shows, pictures, letters, and lots of people. I walked over to the stand where Gavin's ashes had been placed. I walked over to one side where his bike had been propped against a stand and that's when I started to cry. I touched the seat and the handlebars which I'd seen him resting on for seven days. To me, this bike was an extension of Gavin, like his legs or arms. It hit me then--what we'd lost. How impossible it was. How goddamn painful.

One of the best parts of this whole experience has been Gavin's friends who graced the Granneman home all last week (and apparently many times when Gavin's parents were out of town). They regaled us with hilarious stories about Gavin's adventures and kind gestures--stories that helped us all get to know Gavin more completely. They even made a website, called "Hey Gavin" on myspace.

One thing I really took from Gavin's life was a story that his father, Terry, shared with us.

One day Gavin, just 9 or 10, went roller-blading with his older brother Jamie, about 16 or 17 at the time. Gavin took them to a spot that had a railing and several long sets of stairs. Gavin took some time to explain to Jamie how to jump the stairs so he wouldn't injure himself. He explained that Jamie had to get up a bunch of speed to jump the stairs and that he had to clear all of them to make it.

"You got to go big, or go home," he said to Jamie.

Jamie, a bit nervous, skated back from the stairs, got up speed and jumped the stairs. He made it.

Gavin cheered Jamie on, then skated back a little farther to get even more speed. Then he skated fast, picking up speed, and approached the stairs.

Then--not only did Gavin make it over the stairs--he jumped over the stairs, made a complete turn in the air, cleared the railing between the stairs, and landed backwards on his roller-blades--smooth as can be.

Go big, or go home.

Gavin, you'll be missed.

I recently learned about a group of Filipino inmates who did a cover of Thriller. While I checked out the website, I came upon the Indian version of Thriller, with hilarious English subtitles. You have to check this out:



And if you absolutely can't help yourself (as I couldn't) check out the chipmunk version as well...

I've recently become enamored with a phenomenon in a Philippines prison. According to an article on CNN, a prison overseer in a Cebu decided to make dancing mandatory for the inmates. If a prisoner refused to dance, he lost valued privileges--conjugal visits, for one. As a result, they've not only choreographed and filmed several music videos, one of which is a cover ofThriller, they've reduced violence in the prison compound as well.

But that's not all. A lot of the prisoners have regained confidence from themselves as a result. Check out a couple of these comments from the article:

Leo Suico, who's accused of mass murder, says dancing means "we don't think of bad things." Fighting back tears, he says the experience has taught him "love" -- pure and simple.

That sentiment is echoed by other prisoners, including Wenjiell Resane. An accused methamphetamine dealer and self-described "she-male," Resane shares a single prison cell with a dozen transsexuals. She has been waiting three years for trial.

Resane is the star of the "Thriller" video in which more than 1,000 other prisoners took part.

"I tried being a performer before, but no one took any notice," Resane says with the mock bashfulness of the practiced celebrity. "Now, in jail, I have become a star."

And then there's my favorite:

The Michael Jackson role is performed with flair by 36-year-old Crisanto Niere, an accused crack dealer who has been waiting five years for trial.

He loves the dancing and laughs at his unlikely fame, but says the video has brought him a reward he once thought would be forever beyond his reach. His son, Christopher, has only known him as a prison inmate.

"He used to be so ashamed of me," says Niere. "Now when he goes to school, he tells everyone the dancer on the Internet is his father."

He adds, "It makes me proud that my son is proud of me."

Apparently violence hasn't broken out in their prison in a year and a half, which is amazing when you consider that, according the the prison overseer, it used to break out once a week.

Byron Garcia, the overseer, said, "We don't have dumbbells here. We don't have weights. We have dancing. These men learned they can dance and still be men. It makes them work together, it makes them exercise and they learn self-esteem."

He continued, "They no longer feel like lowly criminals." A smile [broke] his face, "Now," he says, "they feel like celebrity criminals."

Check out their video here, which has gotten over 6 million hits on the internet.
You'll probably notice quickly that the "woman" is played by Wenjiell Resane, a transvestite and accused meth dealer. I think she's better than the original actress.

You gotta love it.