Here is my pretend interview with Marco Polo. Happy to elaborate more on this if you're curious.
***
- So, Maro Polo, thank you for sitting down with me today. You are known for being an extensive traveler. Is it true that you traveled all the way to China in the 1200s? Yes, I made my way there all the way from Italy and was highly revered.
- Forgive me for asking, but if you, a merchant, traveled all the way to China, making note of goods along the way, how come you did not mention China's tea? Well, uh, I certainly experienced the tea as it was a common custom at the time, but I guess I just didn't make mention of it. Perhaps it was so abundant that it almost became invisible to me, does that make sense?
- Can you explain your route across Europe and Asia? My route?
- Indeed, it just, forgive me, doesn't make a lot of efficient sense.Well it's not always about efficiency when travelling, is it now? Sometimes the roads less traveled, the more circuitous paths are the most worthy.
- Of course. Now your travels also took you to what you refer to as male and female island, is that correct? Yes, a fascinating place--or places I should say. The sexes are separated on two islands, with young boys staying with the women until they come of age. The women grow the corn and then the men come for three months out of the year to be with their wives, harvest the corn, and take the boys who have come of age back with them to male island.
- Now are you aware that corn had not come to Europe or Asia yet and would not for a few hundred more years? Well, surely we're just having a translation issue here. By corn I surely meant grain. You need to read a better translation of my work.
- Of course. Are you also aware that your directions for where these islands would be place them firmly in the middle of what is now Saudia Arabia, a land mass? Well *nervous laughter* I may have gotten the directions a bit wrong, but let me assure you that they are definitely real and I did indeed travel there. Who could make up such an exceptional place? Surely not I.
- Of course, of course. Now can I ask why you chose not to tell your travel stories yourself? Excuse me?
- Well, forgive me again, but I believe your travels start out by saying they were written by someone who met you in jail. Ah well that was just a bit of flavor I added to the story. People love a framed narrative and who doesn't like a bad boy *winks*?
- Of course, but do you see how this may cause some people to doubt your story? Well a little bit of doubt in a story is natural for a tale as epic as mine, but surely I am known as a great traveler.
- Actually, you're more known as a pool game. A what?
- Would it surprise you to learn that some people don't even believe you existed? *sputtering* I-what? You're talking with me now, aren't you?
- Actually this is simply a writing exercise and you only exist in my mind. No--I have thoughts, feelings, memories!
- All constructed by me and what I remember from reading "your" tales. Now answer the question. I think I'd rather not.
- Well I'll make you. It does surprise me that people would think I don't exist, but surely that is a small number of scholars. I believe a much more common belief is that I appropriated some stories as my own while having some genuine adventures to share.
- Thank you, I think that's all the time we have, but I appreciate you joining me for this exercise. I guess I appreciate being called forth, at least in some form, to defend my honor!
(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)
"Marco Polo Statue" by Gary Todd
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