If every edit is a lie, then every edit is a tampering with the truth.

Or, as Allen Ginsberg believed, in writing with a technique he called "First Thought, Best Thought", "the phrase he used to describe spontaneous and fearless writing—-a way of “telling the truth” that arises from naked and authentic experience" (http://soundstruestore.stores.yahoo.net/aw00823d.html), one can achieve a completely unedited and real experience.

Problem with this is, there are some people who can write first, original thoughts that do not require tampering with, that are brilliant in and of themselves, but others who's work would be tooth-pullingly painful to get through. In fact, I think there are some of those books being published right now. In this country. And they've even been edited. So that makes them, what, lies? Or just bad writing? Likely both.