Layers of Lies February 28, 2010

Topic of the Week: March 1-5, 2010

Randy Susan Meyers

One of the earliest ethical imperatives we learn is “don’t lie.” Euphemisms like “bending the truth” suggest an end justifies the means philosophy that is prevalent–even celebrated–from the highest political offices to the lowest levels of life. Phrases like “liars never prosper” and “one lie leads to another” become nothing but platitudes once the first layer of lie is laid in a bending of truth. What are lies and how do authors use them when creating captivating characters in compelling situations?

Guest host on Friday, March 5  is Randy Susan Meyers, author of The Murder’s Daughters. Meyers spins a tale of obsession, family violence and lies that follow two sisters through years of heartbreak and denial, leading to a climax that forces the lies to the surface. More than just a story of deception within the family and the lies that grow as the years go by, The Murder’s Daughters explores how two people witnessing the same event respond and are affected so differently.

Meyers spent eight years as assistant director of Common Purpose, a batterer intervention program where she worked with both batterers and domestic violence victims. Previously, she was director for the Mission Hill Community Centers where she worked with at-risk youth. She is the co-author of the nonfiction book Couples with Children. Her short fiction has been published in Perigee, Fog City Review, and Grub Street Free Press. She currently teaches fiction-writing seminars at the Grub Street Writers’ Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

Follow Meyers on Twitter at @randysusanmeyer

Moderator during this week’s chat is Darrelyn Saloom (@ficwriter). Darrelyn is co-writing a memoir with and about Deirdre Gogarty, the 1997 WIBF Champion from Ireland. She also guest blogs for Writer’s Digest editor Jane Friedman (@JaneFriedman) and is a frequent contributor to #LitChat.