LEARNING HOW TO WRITE MEMOIR begins with reading. And to help you with both of these tasks I’ve compiled a list of books that have helped me learn in my own writing. They are not all memoirs. They are not how-to books. They are good, solid writing lessons because they are so well written. I learned something different from each of them. Want to learn how to write a memoir or a piece of memoir? Here is my list, as well as what I learned. Let me share it with you. What to Read to Learn to Write Memoir  The Secret Life of Church Ladies, by Deesha Philyaw. If there are better opening lines for short stories out there, well, bring them on. But that is not all. The stories are laugh-out-loud, cry-out-loud, shake-your-head wondrous in their territory, their delivery and their language. This book taught me to be braver, more direct and more inclined toward addressing  hard truths than I had previously been. Part of the education of every writer is to learn to move from trite language to describe sentiment and reactions and into descriptions that shows real, felt responses to life. Read and learn how to do … Continue reading How to Write A Memoir? Read These Books.