Response: Semi-fiction and the Impressionistic

In response to Kelsey Phifer's post "Truth and Fiction" (February 6, 2012):
I do think that truth plays a vital role; in fact, I think it is the primary feature distinguishing fiction from non-fiction.  Non-fiction corresponds basically completely to the way the world is; fiction does not.  Works such as Frey's memoir are, I believe, typically classed under the term 'semi-fiction' - that is, fiction with a high amount of non-fiction included.  The matter becomes somewhat more difficult with abstract, impressionistic works, which some might say correspond more closely to reality than strictly non-fictional works due to their describing the essence of things rather than merely the material reality, and others might say correspond less closely.  Personally I think I would still classify such works as fiction, if only because it is possible to interpret them in many different ways, most of which do not closely correspond to reality.