The New Yorker: "Transatlantic" by Colum McCann

April 16,2012: "Transatlantic"by Colum McCann
As fans ofColum McCann know, the man likes to blur the lines between fact and fiction.Think of the tightrope walker in Let theGreat World Spin. In this story, the two pilots who make an earlyTransatlantic flight are real historical figures, although other characters areinvented.
But as I wasreading the story, I didn't know that. I suspected it—having heard McCann speakon the subject of fact/fiction just last weekend—but still didn't know how thestory would end. Midway through the reading, I began to worry that there wereonly two possible endings. After all, the two pilots at that point were halfway through this dangerous journey and it wasn't looking good. If theysucceeded, that was going to be anticlimactic. Heroic, but boring. If theyfailed, that was going to be anticlimactic as well. There didn't seem to be anygood way out. History tells us that they succeeded, but, fortunately, the storydoesn't quite end there, and McCann pushes things a bit further. The pilotsland on Irish soil and are met not only by British soldiers but by villagerscoming from mass. The point has already been made that the airplane is aconverted bomber—a wartime tool being converted to other purposes, and this, itseems, is where McCann has taken the story, and may also be where he is goingwith the new novel.
This is the "miracleof the actual," a line from the story and one that I think he must have used inour seminar last weekend, although I can't find it in my notes. It's taking thereal and boldly pushing it further. I highly recommend reading the Q&Awith Colum McCann, which sheds further light on his approach. It alsoreveals, which wasn't obvious to me, that this is actually a version of achapter in his new book.
In myopinion, the best of the year so far.