`` Libra, By Don Delillo And The Conspiracy Assassinate...

One of the most noteworthy developments in postmodern literature is the ability to combine historical elements with fictionalized elements to create a story that presents an alternative truth—one that could be true and yet significantly deviates from the reported truth. Don DeLillo’s poignant novel Libra is a prime example of historiographic metafiction, bringing fictional characters, conversations, and events together to tell the story of Lee Harvey Oswald and the conspiracy to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. Likewise, philosopher Jacques Derrida poses the idea that the media has total control over the information presented as news. In his interview â€Å"Deconstruction and Actuality,† Derrida states, â€Å"†¦the time of this speaking is produced artificially. It is an artifact. In its actualization, the time of such a public act is calculated and constrained, ‘formatted’ and ‘initialised’ by (to put it briefly) the or ganisations of the media—and these alone would deserve an almost infinite analysis† (Malpas 75). DeLillo also addresses Derrida’s beliefs that organizations have more control over information and that the population needs to question in Libra. In order to write this novel with precision, DeLillo conducted his own research and pulled from historical documents and information, including the Warren Report, news footage, and photographs. This research allows him to twist and add just enough information to warrant consideration when trying to recognize the