For a swan is invariably the result of adherence to some AESTHETIC SYSTEM OF THOUGHT, a code transposed into a self-portrait; what we see is the imaginary portrait precisely projected. This is why certain women, while not truly beautiful but triumphs over plainness, can occasionally provide the swan-illusion: their INNER VISION of themselves is so fixed, decorated with such clever outer artifice, that we surrender to their claim, and even stand convinced of its genuineness - AND IT IS GENUINE.Truman capote, "Observations", 1959, obviously NOT talking about me, 'cos I hadn't even been born then, but it doesn't matter!
