Fakta musí zatančit – Szczygiel Mariusz (2023)

Why can't the whole be perceived without detail? How does one fact differ from another presented to readers? Is In Cold Blood by Truman Capote really the first non-fiction novel? What can a reporter do with a very long scarf? Why is Hanna Krall Mondrian of reportage and not Chagall? How did Ryszard Kapuściński utilize his writing freedom? Is gonzo journalism just America on drugs? "The word serves as a witness in reportage. However, witnesses unfortunately sometimes miss the truth, even though they previously swore not to lie," says Szczygieł. "We, reporters, find ourselves in a triple bind (there's probably nothing like this in sports, but I want to emphasize the complexity of the situation). On one side is a world whose flywheel is often a lie, and we have the interviewees, whose memory is not always one hundred percent reliable. On the other side, there is only us: our eyes, our ears, and our brains, thus a rather limited perceptual apparatus. On the third side stands an unobjective, somewhat arbitrary language that cannot be a credible witness." Mariusz Szczygieł's new book is a love letter to reportage and simultaneously a read for lovers of this genre as well as for anyone who has certain doubts about its credibility.