One of the most fascinating aspects of criminal trials is that - with the exception of opening and closing arguments - lawyers do not create narrative arcs. Connections and threads must be brought out through questions - not through expository speeches or explanations. Lawyers are not allowed to turn to the jury and say, See how this testimony relates to the medical evidence? At least not during the trial. They can make connections during closing arguments, but even those are very limited in scope. It is the jury that writes the narrative - figuring out how all the forensic evidence, witness testimony, and documents connect.
Writers can invite a similar transaction from their readers, by creating implicit rather than explicit connections.
The most obvious example is the collage or snapshot essay, in which sections or fragments are arranged in order to create surprising juxtapositions. In my own work, I have been known to quote fragments (with proper citation, of course) from my medical charts, news stories, letters, and scientific papers with no exposition or explanation at all. I like to allow the juxtaposition to do the work, to allow the reader to say, oh, I see how this connects ... This also allows the expert witness to speak for herself, in her own voice (although, one could argue that context and juxtaposition change the voice, too.)
But these kinds of implicit connections can be made in traditional, linear essays as well. In his book, American Ground, William Langewiesche presents evidence from various expert witnesses while still leaving room for readers to transact. He does not write long passages of exposition interpreting all the facts or telling readers how to react. Low Life by Luc Sante achieves something similar. (And by the way, there are many examples where exactly the opposite approach is absolutely stunning - such as John Berger's The Shape of a Pocket. This web site is simply exploring an approach that has been ignored or poorly defined by critics and academics.)
Writers walk a fine line, though, when they allow readers to create the story. On the one hand, everything - every image, every detail, every bit of research - must be exquisitely ordered and controlled, in order to create a cohesive whole. On the other, enough space must be left for speculation - for the reader to be complicit in the creation of the story. The writer must be willing to let go once the essay or book is released into the world. And this is what the next post will explore - along with some examples of ideas mentioned above.