On Truth

"The truth of poetry is to paint the human soul truly: the truth of fiction is to give a true picture of life." -John Stuart Mill

"Gonzo journalism . . . is a style of 'reporting' based on William Faulkner's idea that the best fiction is far more true than any kind of journalism--and the best journalists have always known this . . ." -Hunter S. Thompson

It takes awhile to come to the idea that literature is "truth" - my husband once reported to me that when he was in grade school, he remembered the difference between fiction and non-fiction as being "fake" and "not-fake." How do we bridge that distinction in a child's mind and the place of literature in the adult mind? Maybe is this what sets apart "literary" fiction from other types of fiction? (I'm thinking of the great Franzen debacle of the past few weeks.) 

If books like Beloved are so disturbing to me, is that party because I'm uncomfortable with the truths therein? Is there one truth or many truths? What can I teach students about truth? (It's party an argument for canonical teaching, if in fact the "best" fiction is "more true" than journalism - put down the Jodi Picault and pick up Bleak House.)