When I was young, my schooling as a noble youth included tedious readings called "histories." I cannot recall anything that was written (the matter of the disputes of my ancestors must have seemed of little consequence to me at the time) but I do recall the manner of writing: austere, anonymous, and asinine. Histories seemed to float without writer or reader; they pronounced the "facts" as if the past were a matter of simple observation, and as if everyone would see it the same way. Even as a child, histories struck me as pretentious. After thousands of years, I find it hard to be so sure about anything. So why in the name of Rajaat am I writing a history?
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://www.athas.org/articles/Wisdom-Of-Sorrow