it brought me great joy to meet Lionel Shriver in person tonight and to pick her brain on writing (and other inane inquiries like “what is your favorite word”).
as the internet would have it, i then ended up reading an article written by her father, who is a theologian (she is a card-carrying atheist).
surprise surprise – it was a very potent discussion (much like his daughter, he shoots straight from the hip) of how one could apply the Christian idea or ethic of repentance/forgiveness to the nation state.
if you have been to Berlin and heard the tour guides speak about national atonement for the Holocaust / if you know and love the United States of A and are familiar with her indiscretions, you might really really (really) enjoy this read.
:–)
josmurftay 