Sort of real if you squint a bit. All creative non-fiction is the best recollection you can call up. Memories are a bit like grumpy teenagers that can say the opposite of what you think they should and slam the door in your face when you just wanted to know what time they would be home. Sometimes you decorate those fragments of experience with intentional embellishment to fill the gaps. You can end up sticking pieces of your life together with a bit of tape to convey a Frankenstein’s picture of what happened to you. Other times it’s a crystal-clear vivid memory that stuck with you and won’t let go. Whatever else it is, I take it as a chance to express the feelings I felt as true to my experiences as I can give.
