Of all liars the most arrogant are biographers: those who would have us believe having surveyed a few boxes full of letters diaries bank statements and photographs that they can play at the recording angel and tell the whole truth about another human life.

I love learning about different dialects and I own all sorts of regional and time-period slang dictionaries. I often browse through relevant ones while writing a story. I also read a lot of diaries and oral histories.

One of the consequences of the Iranian revolution has been an explosion of history. A country once known only from British consular reports and intrepid travelogues is now awash with historical documents letters diaries grainy video weblogs and secret police files of questionable authenticity.

History is malleable. A new cache of diaries can shed new light and archeological evidence can challenge our popular assumptions.

Only good girls keep diaries. Bad girls don't have time.

Also I knew that the impact of Motorcycle Diaries was going to be so resonant for all of us who went through the experience of making it that I didn't want to do anything that could reflect it.

But the thing I felt most strongly about and put at the end of one of the prison diaries was education.

You know Motorcycle Diaries has no incredible stories no sudden plot twists it doesn't play that way. It's about recognizing that instance of change and embracing it.