On Subtext

And burying treasure

We sour to the familiar and shrug at the common, whether it’s starlings or dialog. Only children can be fed clichés and not immediately spit them out, though it’s a poor diet for anyone. (Proverbs, unlike clichés, have meat and truth and can be gnawed for some time.) Only children and inexperienced readers can be served the next-best cut, which is emoti…