What makes “Kissing” by Anthony Farrington a true lyrical/braided essay, is that it follows the criteria of material needed within it, as defined by Heidi Czerwiec. In order to create an authentic lyrical essay, Czerwiec states that factors and matters that it must include: “ surreal or absurd”, “embodied oppositions or tensions”, and “mediations”. All these lead to a form that reveals patterns, exposing “a larger truth”, that being the power of small affections.
The first form of material that Czerwiec deems essential in creating an authentic and truthful lyrical essay is to incorporate some form of surrealism or absurdity in the subject or formatting of the creative nonfiction essay. Though Farrington’s topic of discussing his experiences with kissing is neither absurd nor surreal, it is, in fact, an uncommon subject. However, the absurdity within Farrington’s piece is rather in the structural form and how you read through the piece.
Within “Kissing”, Farrington embodies opposition and tension through a collage in his braided essay. The format of “Kissing” doesn’t flow like a typical narrative, but it’s rather similar to a magazine article. In fact, it is a collage–a collection of found materials that have been rearranged and repurposed to relate to what the author is trying to share. Farrington accomplishes this through incorporating quotes, Q&As, outside perspectives, instructive lessons, definitions, numbers, phone numbers, and random facts which are spread throughout the piece. For example, there is an embedded answer to a question as to how to get a boyfriend to kiss them, as if taken from a genuine Q&A, but there is also a biblical reference to Matt 26:48. Though these additions seem abrupt and random, and not related, they are rather paradigms. All of these elements are pieced together, similar to creating a collage, to create a bigger picture and meaning: the power of small affections. Each incorporation has stressed, desired, and revolved around a simple action, a kiss. So, to put them all together–a collection of opposite examples–it depicts how great of an impact this small gesture has on ruling people's emotions and perceptions. Moreover, embodying the opposition and tension of the bigger truth through a collage, further accomplishing Czerwiec’s idea.
Czerwiec also expects mediations to be present–that being their thoughts and opinions, “especially where the author isn’t sure what s/he thinks”. Farrington is very candid throughout his creative nonfiction piece. Even though creative nonfiction essays are expected to be truthful and accurate, Farrington was very intimate in expressing and showing his life. Farrington admitted to his ex-wife leaving him, and how it impacted him and his kids. Also, he admitted as to the amount of women he had kissed, how it felt, how the kiss happened, where the kiss took place, and how his idea about kissing has changed. Throughout the piece, Farrington explores his past experiences and relationships, and connects them as to how it makes him think today. Before, childhood Farrington saw kissing as not intimate, but as he dives into each experience–the recognition as to how they were(i.e. “electric”, “quick”, “eager” or “soft)–and reminisce on years spent with his wife, Farrington recognises just how precious, awkward, quirky, and heated each one of those kisses were. Therefore, Farrington’s use of diving into each moment of his kissing experiences, replaying how he thought and felt, is a form of intimacy and candidness between the speaker and author that Czerwiec strives for.
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