Trying to censor reality will only further undermine the governing narrative, not strengthen its authority.
From this point of view, the current crackdown on the Internet and bloggers can backfire by undermining, not enhancing, the legitimacy of the governing narrative.
One way of getting "there" is by a system of rules that do, broadly speaking, govern narrative construction; increasingly, in my own teaching, I have come to believe that people already know these rules, but only in relation to their own experience.
The practitioner must choose a "master narrative" (a stranger's story) and a "governing scene" (a key moment from that stranger's life).
Whether that argument becomes the dominant narrative matters, because it will shape what sort of a governing mandate Mr. Obama is deemed to have won.
"This is a governing crisis.
"We are a governing body.
Cyberspace already has a governing document.
Mr. Cohen is playing a role similar to that of an agent on the project, negotiating with publishers as well as seeking a co-author who can turn Mr. Cuomo's ideas about governing into a compelling narrative.
A Picture and A Narrative of the Origin, Growth, Excellences, Abuses, Beauties, and Personages of Our Governing City, a work that covered the history of Washington from its inception to the then-present day.
