The subject of this profile is not like most of us. Is she crazy? A hustler? Or does she know things we can’t? We need the writer to make sense of it all, to guide us through the tale with a strong hand and a good dose of skepticism. French pulls off the feat with his use of the first person. We believe it lends legitimacy to this story: By inserting a strong, personal “I” into the writing, French allies himself with us, his readers. He’s saying, in effect: I know all this sounds crazy, but hang in there with me, because it just makes for a damn good story. The stance is established in the bold, breezy lead, in which French has the temerity to tell us how to think of the story, summarize the plot and dare us to read on.
Read “The Exorcist in Love,” by Thomas French