Kept Secret: The Half-Truth in Nonfiction

by Jen Hirt (Editor), Tina Mitchell (Editor), Jo Ann Beard (contributor)

Creative nonfiction writers wrestle constantly with the boundaries of creative license—what to reveal, when to reveal it, and how best to do it. While the truth may inspire us to make confident assertions, secrets, lies, and half-truths inspire us to delve further into our own writing to discover the heart of the story. The pieces in this collection feature essayists who do this type of detective work. Each essay contains a secret, lie, or half-truth—some of these are revealed by the author, but others remain buried. Ranging from the deep family secret to the little white lie, from the shocking to the humorous, and from the straightforward revelation to the slanted half-truth, these essays ask us to appreciate the magnitude of keeping a secret. They also ask us to consider the obstacles writers must overcome if they want to write about secrets in their own lives and the lives of others. In short interviews following each essay the contributors discuss craft, ethics, creativity, and how they eventually decided to reveal—or not reveal—a secret.
 

Genres: Essays, Memoir, Writing

226 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2017

About the author

Jen Hirt is the author of the memoir UNDER GLASS: THE GIRL WITH A THOUSAND CHRISTMAS TREES (Ringtaw Books/University of Akron Press 2010), which won the Drake University Emerging Writer Prize for 2011; the poetry chapbook TOO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT STRAWBERRIES (Tolsun Books 2018); and the essay collection HEAR ME OHIO (University of Akron Press 2020). Other award-winning writing includes "Students of the Route" (Terrain contest finalist); "Glow in the Dark" (Gabehart Prize); and "Lores of Last Unicorns" (Pushcart Prize). She has had four essays make the list of notable essays in the Best America Essays series. She is the co-editor of CREATING NONFICTION: TWENTY ESSAYS AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE WRITERS (SUNY 2016) , which won "Gold" at the Foreword INDIE Book of the Year Awards in the anthology category. She is also the co-editor of KEPT SECRET: THE HALF-TRUTH IN NONFICTION (MSU 2017). Her creative work has been published in journals such The Gettysburg Review, The Colorado Review, TriQuarterly, Salamander, and Redivider. She holds a B.A. in English from Hiram College, an M.A. in English from Iowa State University, and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Idaho. She lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and teaches at Penn State Harrisburg.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept Secret: The Half-Truth in Nonfiction is an anthology of creative nonfiction essays that explore different ways that authors navigate truth and lies in supposedly true stories. It's one of the best anthologies I have read in a long time as I can honestly say that I liked all the works included in the book (which is pretty rare). Yes, there were some pieces I liked better -- for example "Experiments of Living Chemistry" by Kelly Kathleen Ferguson that details a young girl's confusion and disgust about her ever changing body is a must read! I also enjoyed the pieces by familiar authors Jo Ann Beard, Erin Murphy, Leslie Jamison, and Robin Hemley. All in all, this is a great anthology for anyone who grapples with the truth in creative nonfiction, fiction, and even poetry.

[Kelly Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I'm in this anthology, so while I can't speak to my own essay, I can say that as I read the rest of the collection, I wondered why personal essays are such a "tough sell" in the mass market world. I zipped through everyone of these for summer reading.

[Kyle D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely assigning in my creative nonfiction seminar. Unexpected and thought-provoking and powerful and weird. The interviews after each piece are nice, and thoughtfully varied to fit each piece, but it's the selections that make it work.

[Jon Pineda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclosure: I'm in the anthology, though my rating for this book pertains solely to the other writers' work. I found the anthology to be an engaging read throughout, and anyone interested in creative nonfiction will find lots to admire here.