PEOPLE ALWAYS ASK me what to do with a piece of memoir once it’s written. Should all memoir be published? Not all personal stories should be published, of course. Some should be given as gifts for spouses, children or friends, read as eulogies, or archived for schools or other organizations. And for a while, those were all the answers I had to that question. That is, until now.
Maybe, like me, you wish your parents had written down their tales. Or maybe, like me, you wish you’d merely paid more attention to the stories they told.
What to do? Record a short piece of memoir, and let your kid illustrate it with you. That’s what we did. We used our little Flip camera and made a video of my insane little essay. And I used a digital recorder for the sound, though you can use the recorder built into your computer. And it didn’t hurt a bit that the piece I chose makes me out to be just the littlest bit — um, how shall we say? — insane. My daughter liked that.
Maybe you will, too.
Shirley says
One of the reasons I loved the TV series Friday Night Lights was to observe first-hand a marriage that really works. This video can vie with Eric and Tami Taylor for great humor, camaraderie, and wry sensibility. The Vegas metaphor was perfect.
The videographer was terrific also. Please let her know.
38DD makes you an Iron Woman!
Elissa says
Charming! Keep them coming! – E
Annette Gendler says
Loved it! Especially the bit about his laugh being the ultimate paycheck of your life. Wonderful and so true! This is really a great little personal essay in video.
Julie G says
Marion you’ve taken personal essay to a whole new level– memoir -in-motion. Delightful.
marion says
Hi all. I am delighted to see you here.
Shirley: I, too, adore the marriage of Friday Night Lights, and am delighted to meet another fan. Thank you for the comparison. Their marriage is what keeps me watching that show. Please come back soon for more.
Thanks, Elissa. We plan to make lots of these. Nothing like keeping that teenager engaged, right?
Well, Annette, it’s true isn’t it? It is the ultimate paycheck. BTW, if you want to see a transcript of the essay, it’s in the new book.
Hello, Julie: lovely to read you here. Thanks for the support. Please come back and join us again soon.