NY Times: Pullman op-ed: Why I don't believe in ghosts

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/opinion/31PULL.html

First two paragraphs:

XFORD, England

Tonight is Halloween, All Hallows' Eve, a time of ghosts and spirits walking
by night . . . which leads me naturally to think about literary realism, and
about politics. How can you write in a truthful and realistic way about
something that doesn't exist?

I don't take much notice of critics, except when they praise me
extravagantly. But one of the remarks they sometimes make about my work does
coincide with a mild puzzlement I feel about it myself: in common with some
other writers whose work is read by children, I am chided for writing
fantasy, because fantasy is a lesser form than realism, and everyone knows
that there are no such things as elves or hobbits or, for that matter,
ghosts and disembodied spirits, so nothing interesting or truthful can be
said about them.


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Mike Williams wrote:
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/opinion/31PULL.html</font" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/31/opinion/31PULL.html</font</a>>
 >
 > First two paragraphs:
 >
 > XFORD, England
 >
 > Tonight is Halloween, All Hallows' Eve, a time of ghosts and spirits walking
 > by night . . . which leads me naturally to think about literary realism, and
 > about politics. How can you write in a truthful and realistic way about
 > something that doesn't exist?
 >
 > I don't take much notice of critics, except when they praise me
 > extravagantly. But one of the remarks they sometimes make about my work does
 > coincide with a mild puzzlement I feel about it myself: in common with some
 > other writers whose work is read by children, I am chided for writing
 > fantasy, because fantasy is a lesser form than realism, and everyone knows
 > that there are no such things as elves or hobbits or, for that matter,
 > ghosts and disembodied spirits, so nothing interesting or truthful can be
 > said about them.

(Like I said, folks--
Couldn't POSSIBLY be narcissism...He just, well, isn't the type!)

Derek Janssen (he's such a charming, self-effacing sort!)
djanss.TakeThisOut@rcn.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->