IT’S GRADUATION SEASON, and every time it rolls around I am reminded of how I always seem to find memoir in the day-to-day. I’ve spoken at commencements, and it's a great honor to be asked to do so. … [Read more...] about Writing Memoir at Commencement: The Graduation Speech
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
The Writing Life, or Groping My Way Toward Memoir
A BIG GROUP GROPE. It’s the image that popped into my head after a friend wrote seeking some writing advice. A thoroughly politically incorrect term, of course, as well as dated, the grope provides an … [Read more...] about The Writing Life, or Groping My Way Toward Memoir
How to Write Memoir: The Week in Review
MEMOIR WRITERS THINK we've got it made. That is, until we sit down to write, and all those stories seem to scatter away from our fingertips. Why does this happen? Who knows? But how about we fix it? … [Read more...] about How to Write Memoir: The Week in Review
A Guide to Great Memoir Adaptation
MEMOIR ADAPTATION IS TRICKY, indeed, the assignment being nothing less than inhabiting someone else’s life and getting it right. Sometimes they are spot-on perfect, of course. Such is the case with … [Read more...] about A Guide to Great Memoir Adaptation
Required Reading: What to Read to Learn to Write Memoir? Calvin Trillin.
MY HUSBAND SINGS in a large chorale group, providing me on a regular basis with music of the season. Most recently what filled my home was the music of Easter, whose own particular brand of adulation … [Read more...] about Required Reading: What to Read to Learn to Write Memoir? Calvin Trillin.