Next in this new series called Writing Lessons, my guest teacher is Kate Richards, whose astonishing memoir, Madness, tackles just what the title implies. I met Kate online after slamming into her … [Read more...] about Writing Lessons: Memoir Advice? Know Your Audience, With Kate Richards
Writing Lessons: How to Tell The Truth, with Katrina Kenison
Next in this new series called Writing Lessons, my guest teacher is Katrina Kenison, a writer whose work is beloved by her readers. Smart, provocative, and beautifully written, her books teach us … [Read more...] about Writing Lessons: How to Tell The Truth, with Katrina Kenison
Writing Memoir: A Memorial Day Personal Essay
MANY TIMES, STUDENTS in my classes teach me more than I teach them. Such is the case with writer Dan New. In Dan’s case, what I learned was the power of one simple edit, when we agreed as a class what … [Read more...] about Writing Memoir: A Memorial Day Personal Essay
Writing Lessons: On Characterization, With Leanne Shirtliffe
In a new series called Writing Lessons, my first guest teacher is Leanne Shirtliffe, who tackles the topic of characterization. Her book, Don’t Lick The Minivan and Other Things I Never Thought I’d … [Read more...] about Writing Lessons: On Characterization, With Leanne Shirtliffe
Need a Tip on How to Write Memoir? It’s This: Read and Respond
WHILE RECENTLY GIVING A KEYNOTE ADDRESS on the power of memoir, I was introduced to the crowd by a scholar who invited me to repeat something I had forgotten I’d said last time I spoke to his … [Read more...] about Need a Tip on How to Write Memoir? It’s This: Read and Respond
What Makes Bad Memoir? Jimmy Connors Provides a Willing Example
I’VE NEVER LIKED JIMMY CONNORS, considering him among the triumvirate of people who temporarily turned tennis into a game played by bad-tempered men in (very) short pants. And since I spent a lot of … [Read more...] about What Makes Bad Memoir? Jimmy Connors Provides a Willing Example
