The problem is not that I am speaking from a position of ignorance. I am speaking from a position of knowledge to people who don’t know what knowledge would look like. I am talking to people who are afraid that other people who also don’t know what knowledge would look like will read the book and think it is full of mistakes.
Read the whole of Helen DeWitt’s essay here. And remind me to read something else by her. I really liked The Last Samurai.