What is a memoir? Dictionary online says, “it’s a record of events written by a person with intimate knowledge based on personal observation.” Autobiography is when you write your own. Biography is when someone else writes about you.
The Beauty of Memoir
They say we all have a book inside of us (right now, I’m working on number four, Strong Currents, the sequel to my first novel, Books Afloat). The longer I live and meet interesting people, the more sure I am that’s true. Even if the story only blesses family and friends, it should be told. Writing makes it permanent, and when good storytellers describe scenes well, readers relive experiences and gain insights.
I’ve read great memoirs, but a few made me wonder, “Why bother?” Some individuals are simply full of themselves. One wealthy employer I worked for planned to run for state or national office. When a US senator visited, my boss assigned me to phone the hotel where they were dining and page him every 15 minutes all evening to give the impression of his great importance. I resigned soon after to return to grad school and university teaching.
We don’t have to be great or famous to have a worthwhile story. When my wise but uneducated great-grandmother shared courageous stories of growing up in a Minnesota sod house after her father froze to death in a blizzard, her determination strengthened me.
Memoir writing isn’t hard. Many people write yearly Christmas letters. I started in 1984 so have 37 years of recorded key family events that are a natural memoir outline. I sometimes penned extra letters when I was airlifted to receive my first dual-chamber pacemaker, and again when I covered payroll, supply, and/or recordkeeping at forest fires in Washington State and later British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, etc. Those adventures created important memories and paid bills.
My Favorite Memoirs
When I taught memoir writing in a community adult education program, I love hearing stories as varied as the people writing them. I recommend reading and learning from great models. Here are some of the best:
Leslie Leyland Fields, Surviving the Island of Grace: Life on the Wild Edge of America
Dr. Ben Carson with Ceca Murphy, Gifted Hands
Jeanette Walls, The Glass Castle: A Memoir
What favorite memoir have you read and recommend?
Plunge right in. Take time to compose family letters. Gather the courage to assemble and write a memoir. Congratulate yourself on providing a legacy for your family. You, your loved ones, and hopefully more readers will be glad you did.
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