For almost forty years it’s been my profession to make things up.
In that time, I’ve written 16 books, published well over 100 short stories and spent many long hours mastering my craft, doing my best to honour the legacy of fine literature, the men and women authors who inspired me to pick up a pen in the first place.
I am, however, finding it increasingly difficult to compose prose that somehow reflects the state of our society these days, the irrationality and implausibility breaking out all over. Despite a fervid imagination, I honestly have a hard time conceiving a state of affairs as strange and unsettling as what I find when I check my newsfeeds each morning. Invariably, I end up depressed and outraged, in the grips of despair, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
In my wildest dreams I couldn’t imagine a world where experts and authoritative sources are treated with derision by a significant proportion of the population who instead seek the counsel of amateurs, charlatans and out and out cranks.
Nor could I picture a situation in which the concept of truth has been so violently assailed and undermined with misinformation and inaccuracies invented and perpetuated by the poisonous infosphere known as “social media.”
Universal truths are what bind us together as citizens — some things must be irrefutable if we are to sustain any kind of humane and egalitarian civilization:
Slavery, in all its guises, is immoral. No one is above the law. Each of us is equally unique and sacred. Democracy, despite its flaws, is still the most just and representative form of governance.
We are facing a climate crisis and must take the necessary steps, however painful, to preserve a viable future for our descendants.
The most pressing issues confronting us, including the perils of artificial intelligence, genetic engineering and nanotechnology, require a collective effort on our part, so that we are participating in the decision-making process, rather than allowing others to act on our behalf (and in their own self-interest).
In my four decades of putting words on paper, I have struggled mightily to communicate meaning, purpose and, yes, truth to my readers. Perhaps not the literal truth, that would be presumptuous, plus I think art should have a higher purpose than merely attempting to ape reality.
No, it’s more like I’m trying to illuminate my subject matter in such a way that I’m forcing people to regard it through an entirely new perspective, gaze out at the world through someone else’s eyes.
Wisdom isn’t merely knowledge gained; it’s a comprehension previously denied us, a realization that our opinions and belief systems are flawed or incomplete and now we must re-examine our most precious preconceptions, determine if they’re still valid.
The best art tells us what we need to know. It makes no allowances for those who think they’ve got everything all sussed out. It challenges and frustrates us and, if we are very fortunate, causes us to change our minds and pursue a bolder, more radical vision that at least gives us a fighting chance of surviving the next millennium and discovering what wonders yet await us.
Excerpted from an upcoming presentation celebrating Saskatchewan Library Week (Oct. 13-19). Cliff Burns will be appearing at the North Battleford Library on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. The longtime Canadian author will expand on the ideas in this article while making a plea for reason and consensus in a world that seems hopelessly fractured and fractious.
For more information on his writing, go to cliffburns.com.
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