Paris Review Interviews John Waters



In Role Models, I love when you say, “Fiction is the truth, fool!”

I’ve had people say to me, really educated people, “I don’t have time for fiction.” Well, what do you think literature is? That is what life is!

Preposterous.

But do you know how widespread that reaction is? Well, you probably do know! People say they’re “too busy” to read fiction. Or they say that you only really learn if you know facts. Come on!

As if you don’t learn from a novel.

Yes! But they don’t think you do. Which means they’re stupid.

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