I use what is called real life to craft my fiction. How is it different from fake news? Novelists with a great gift of imagination have invented situations, often quite simple and uncomplicated ones, that you can never rid from your mind: a family undertaking a long, tortuous journey with the corpse of a family member in a coffin to the dead womans hometown (William Faulkners As I Lay Dying); two men on a train, each one wanting to kill someone, propose that they exchange murders and thereby have an alibi (Patricia Highsmiths Strangers on a Train); a woman is on her way to buy flowers for a party she will host that night (Virginia Woolfs Mrs Dalloway); a young man arriving in a city to collect his fathers ashes and going on a drug rampage that sends him into a nightmarish spiral (Edward St Aubyns Bad News).
During his last week in office in January 2017, President Barack Obama gave an interview to a book critic from The New York Times. Obama told the interviewer that his daughter Malia had read Ernest Hemingways A Moveable Feast and was captivated by the writer describing his goal of writing one true thing every day. (All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.) When I read the interview, Trump had been president for two days, and I think the idea for this book was born then.
I began keeping a daily journal, but instead of writing the truest sentence, I noted down a revealing lie. The US president was lying every day but falsehoods, I noted, could be from anywhere in the world. Heres one from my country of birth, India: In the days prior to his retirement from the Rajasthan High Court, Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma said that the cow should be declared the national animal of India because hundreds of millions of gods and goddesses lived in that sacred animal. The cow is the only creature, the judge opined, that takes in oxygen and also emits oxygen. He also extolled the virtues of cow urine.
The other day a friend posted a few lines from a poem by the radical Hindi poet Gorakh Pandey on Facebook. He was aiming to describe the situation in India under Narendra Modi. I read the extract and that same morning sat down to translate it. In my writing journal, I noted in the margin that this extract could serve as my novels epigraph:
King said it is night, Queen said it is night, Minister said it is night, Guard said it is night. This happened right This morning!
What is the opposite of a rumour?
A scientific fact, of course.
But once you start thinking of rumours as stories, which they are, it becomes clear that accounts offered by scientists about their experiments are also stories.
One researcher publishes a study showing that chimps will eat food given to them and not necessarily want to share it with other chimps, and therefore we should conclude that we are born selfish; a different researcher finds that chimps will help other chimps open a door even when they themselves cannot see the bananas strategically placed on the far side. Those inclined to engage in further storytelling go on to say something about the presence or absence of altruism across the species.
We are always telling stories. Because we deal only with stories, in literature, in history, or in science, the simple distinction between truth and lies is a naive one. Any story ought to be surrounded with other questions. Whose story is it? What ends does it serve? Does it affirm or contradict other stories?
But till that happens I want to ask scientists to clarify one thing.
On the BBC show Top Gear, a discussion about driverless cars led to conversation about an experiment that was supposedly about self-preservation. You can watch this episode on YouTube. Jeremy Clarkson, the shows host, says that scientists conducted an awful experiment in which they put monkeys and their babies in a box and heated the floor. When the heat became unbearable, all the monkeys picked up their babies and held them in their arms. But when the floor got hotter, till it was absolutely unbearable, the monkeys put the babies down and stood on them.
I have a few questions.
The main one is: Did it really happen, this experiment? Where and when?
These are perhaps silly questions. But they remind us that there are many ways to respond to a story. And I havent yet processed what the uproarious laughter of the studio audience meant when Clarkson was done telling his story about the monkey experiment.
I also want to pose a more important question: Did all the adult monkeys act in unison, picking up or putting down their babies as one body?
Were there those or, for that matter, just one that changed their minds?
Or hesitated just a bit, looking at the other monkeys, with bewildered gray-brown eyes? Or, if you allow me to be sentimental for half a second, did an adult monkey, after standing on her baby for maybe a minute, pick it up to offer comfort? And, before putting it down again if indeed all of this even happened give the doomed baby a last kiss?
Loud fans in places such as Cincinnati, Ohio, or Des Moines, Iowa, or Mobile, Alabama, had found the freedom to behave like frat boys on a Friday night. Republicans were greeted with chants of USA! USA! There was a spike in assaults against Blacks and Muslims and others who, to Trump loyalists, looked like outsiders. The Womens March took place in Washington, D.C., on January 21, the largest single-day protest in the nations history. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) declared its readiness to challenge Trumps executive orders and witnessed a spike in membership as well as donations.
The New York Times published an ad to highlight the fight over truth, which ended with the words the truth is more important now than ever. The online Merriam-Webster dictionary also took up the good fight; after Trump aide Kellyanne Conway described false statements as alternative facts, Merriam-Webster sent out the following tweet: A fact is a piece of information presented as having objective reality. (On January 22, 2017, when I saw that tweet, it had been liked 55,914 times.)
One of the residents at the villa is a filmmaker from Connecticut. Her name is LeeAnn Wendell. She shared a bit of her work with us last week, and I got from her this quote that came from Pier Paolo Pasolini: I dont believe we shall ever again have any form of society in which men will be free. One should not hope for it. One should not hope for anything. Hope is invented by politicians to keep the electorate happy.
I wrote down Pasolinis words because I imagined my editor asking me a question when I sent in the manuscript. Whats your point? I plan to quote Pasolini and say, Point? I dont have a point. No uplifting message certainly. We are fucked.
(The residency was shut down when dire reports began to come of the deaths from a new virus. I left and later learned that one of the staff was an early casualty. I had missed an opportunity. There was a researcher there who chattered gaily in Italian with the waitstaff. Her name was Anna Duranti. Her collaborator was a very polite, very serious Chinese social scientist named Li Qinglian. The duo was examining the carbon footprint of fashion in two cities in China, one on the coast and one inland. Li stayed silent during meals unless addressed directly, to which she responded with a monosyllable and an apologetic smile, but Anna could be heard saying things like Did you know that in order to produce a cotton shirt, up to 2,700 liters of water are needed? That is exactly what I overheard her ask and she laughed when I made her repeat it so that I could write it down. Trump would go on to call it the Chinese virus and the kung flu. In India, the Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare would say that if people took the step of absorbing the suns rays for ten to fifteen minutes between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., they would build immunity. The Indian newspapers carrying this statement mentioned a BBC report that cited experts who said that exposure to the sun is completely ineffective against the virus.)
Excerpted with permission from A Time Outside This Time, Amitava Kumar, Aleph Book Company.
Go here to read the rest:
What have fake news and lies got to do with Amitava Kumars new novel? Everything - Scroll.in
- France Takes Legal Action Against Israeli Fake News Firm Revealed by Haaretz - Israel Did Nothing - National Security ... - Haaretz - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Totally Not Fake News: Airing of grievances...Houston Texans and otherwise - Battle Red Blog - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Fake news sites, misinformation exploding thanks to new tech - Fox News - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- The Candice Malcolm Show | The biggest fake news HOAXES of 2023 - True North - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Evaluating truthfulness of fake news through online searches increases chances of believing misinformation: Study - Phys.org - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Unsure if news is true? You may be more likely to believe misinformation - The Jerusalem Post - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Lions on the loose in Indianapolis? Its not true, its fake news, zoo officials say - FOX 59 Indianapolis - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- No, Adele was not holding a Palestinian flag at one of her recent concerts - Truth or Fake - FRANCE 24 English - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- X to be investigated for allegedly breaking EU laws on hate speech and fake news - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- AI-generated weapons of mass misinformation have arrived - MSNBC - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Deepfakes are everywhere! Who is keeping the tab on fake news? - afaqs! - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Analysts hit out at the use of smear tactics and fake news by Western nations - China Daily - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Please respect my history and respect my boys - Jose Mourinho says his alleged all-time XI including Cristiano ... - Sportskeeda - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Call to secure prompt response to fake news ahead of elections in Belarus - Belarus News (BelTA) - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- As fake nudes become latest AI headache, experts call for regulation and awareness - The Indian Express - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Newsable: Fact-checking fake news can make you more likely to believe it - Stuff.co.nz - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Alleged fake nurse charged with forgery and impersonation on Vancouver Island - CBC.ca - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Lions on the loose in United States? - ARY NEWS - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Fake news, real victims: The tragedy of the Middle East bombings - The Hill - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- New YouTube Recommendation Feature After Government Notice On Fake News - NDTV - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- Fake news exposed: Injured Gaza baby photo proven to be AI-generated - The Jerusalem Post - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- Social media trolling and spread of fake news are threat to Irish ... - The Irish Times - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- FG won't trample on rights of citizens in fight against fake news, says ... - TheCable - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- Russian Propagandists Are Dancing on the Bones of Israel-Hamas ... - The Moscow Times - October 22nd, 2023 [October 22nd, 2023]
- Health Ministry rebukes Elon Musk for 'fake news' about COVID-19 - The Times of Israel - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Elon Musk Is Flirting With a Fake AOC Twitter Account - The New Republic - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Fake news is only getting worse | News | mymcr.net - Monroe County Reporter - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Identifying fake news requires actively open-minded thinking, new ... - Concordia University News - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Binance's Changpeng Zhao complains of fake news and hints at ... - CoinGeek - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- DISINFORMATION, MISINFORMATION AND FAKE NEWS - The Star Online - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Will Brazil's 'Fake News Bill' regulate disinformation or stifle free ... - The World - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Sedition Not Ruled Out For Spreading Fake News, Misinformation On Manipur - NDTV - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Journalists at the front lines battling fake news - The Star Online - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- 'Fake news' -- Dele Alake debunks reports of appointment as ... - TheCable - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- FAKE NEWS ALERT: We are not recruiting, PenCom tells jobseekers - TheCable - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- May 29: DSS warns against fake news, says there are plans to ... - TheCable - May 31st, 2023 [May 31st, 2023]
- Study reveals key reason why fake news spreads on social media - April 6th, 2023 [April 6th, 2023]
- Rob Gronkowski shuts down rumors of Bill Belichick shopping Mac Jones: 'I think that was fake news' - Fox News - April 6th, 2023 [April 6th, 2023]
- Fake cop arrested after attempting traffic stop of real cop - The Mercury News - April 6th, 2023 [April 6th, 2023]
- False information is being spread: Officials on fake news over attack on Bihari migrant workers in Tamil Nadu - India Today - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- These Were the 10 Most-Viewed Fake News Stories on Facebook in 2019 - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- TOTALLY NOT FAKE NEWS: The Texans Off-Season Off to a Fast and Furious Start... - Battle Red Blog - February 2nd, 2023 [February 2nd, 2023]
- What would happen if a space rock crashed into your town? Find out with this simulator - CW39 Houston - January 23rd, 2023 [January 23rd, 2023]
- Did Fake News On Facebook Help Elect Trump? Here's What We Know - NPR.org - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Working to Stop Misinformation and False News - Facebook - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- FAKE NEWS FAILING: The Washington Post Has Lost 500K Subscribers Since ... - January 10th, 2023 [January 10th, 2023]
- Types of fake news: Know the difference between misinformation and disinformation - News9 LIVE - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- Fact Check: WEF's Statement To Bathe Once A Week To Combat Climate Change. Is It True? - Outlook India - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- How fake news gets into our minds, and what you can do to resist it - December 25th, 2022 [December 25th, 2022]
- TOTALLY NOT FAKE NEWS: No Time to Celebrate for the TexansThey Got Football To Play - Battle Red Blog - December 25th, 2022 [December 25th, 2022]
- FAKE NEWS | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Fake news. It's complicated. - First Draft - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Fake news: What is it? And how to spot it - CBBC Newsround - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Kangana Ranaut reacts to reports about Emergency allowed to be shot in Parliament: Its fake news - Bollywood Hungama - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Due diligence was required, or a Google search: The Quint CEO pulls up Ravish Kumar on his claims of Adani owning the organisation - OpIndia - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Fake news: How to spot misinformation : Life Kit : NPR - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- How the US Government Used Propaganda to Sell Americans on ... - HISTORY - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- TMCs Saket Gokhale spreads fake report claiming 30 crore was spent on PMs Morbi visit citing RTI response that does not exist - OpIndia - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- Fighting Misinformation, Meet Andy Norman, Who is Empowering People to Combat Fake News - News18 - December 2nd, 2022 [December 2nd, 2022]
- Fake News: Why People Believe, How It Spreads, and What You Can Do ... - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- TOTALLY NOT FAKE NEWS: The Texans Look to Bounce Back - Battle Red Blog - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Report of armed robbery of Harrison Twp. bar appears to be a case of fake news, Sheriff Streck says - WHIO - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- On the Philippines fake news problem - BusinessWorld Online - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Get Rs 5000 if received Covid shots - This claim is FAKE #FactChecked - OTV News - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Centre warns against propagating hate, spreading fake news on social media - Times Now - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Congress Initiates Action Against BJP's Priti Gandhi, 4 Others Over 'Fake News' - The Quint - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Brazil Has Never Been So Prepared to Fight Fake News - Americas Quarterly - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Totally Not Fake News: The Texans And The Fallout From History - Battle Red Blog - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- OVP studying whether to file complaints vs. those spreading fake news regarding Duterte - GMA News Online - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Study Says Many Teens Cant Tell The Difference Between Real And Fake News - HuffPost - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- TikTok is infested with fake news, according to this study - Gearrice - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- Heavy losses for Ukraine, the feats of Russian soldiers, and fake news from Kyiv - Meduza - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- NASCAR & NBA Arent the Sports Responsible for Michael Jordan & Denny Hamlins $150 Million Fake News Collaboration - EssentiallySports - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- A short history of fake history: Why fighting for the truth is critical - Salon - September 17th, 2022 [September 17th, 2022]
- What is fake news? - Definition from WhatIs.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Fake News is All Around Us - Seed World - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Totally Not Fake News: For the Texans, the End of the Beginning? - Battle Red Blog - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Fake news and the real thing - Buenos Aires Times - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- The death of Queen Elizabeth II is giving rise to scams and fake news - Komando - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Data: Cases booked for 'Circulation of Fake News' down 42% in 2021; Pendency increases while Conviction rate comes down - Factly - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]