Magical Memoir Moments
You Are Invited to a Cover Reveal!
One of the most important decisions that publishers and authors make about a book is its title and its cover. This decision has been made for my memoir. I used Rosy Cheeks: A Mennonite Childhood as a working title when I proposed the book to Herald Press. But the title has changed. I want to…
Honoring Willa Cather: A Happiness Project
Last fall I traveled a long way to Jaffrey, New Hampshire. I wanted to place flowers at the grave of Willa Cather, my favorite author.
Review of Jean Janzen's Mennonite Memoir: Entering the Wild
The word “wild” has loomed large over the field of memoir this year. You’ve probably heard of Cheryl Strayed’s wonderful book about her amazing journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. I reposted a wonderful review of the book by Strayed’s mentor Paulette Bates Alden here. Now I have another wild book to recommend. Here’s my…
The Things She Couldn’t Carry: Touching the Hem of My Grandmother’s Garment
After we die, who is left to tell our story? And what is left of who we were? My maternal grandmother Anna Mary Herr Hess died at the age of 56 when I was not quite three years old; hence, I do not consciously remember her living presence. Almost everything I know about my grandmother has…
Speaking of Faith: Writing About Being Mennonite
Last week on this blog Annette Gendler offered her prescription for how to write about family, which might be one of the most difficult challenges a memoir writer faces. Annette invited me to write about religion, since both of us are shaped by faith. This morning I appear here as her guest blogger. The best…
How to Write About Family: Honoring Self and Other in Memoir
Today’s post comes to you from Annette Gendler, a nonfiction writer who teaches memoir and blogs about memoir. Annette has published many personal essays and is seeking a publisher for her book-length memoir about forbidden love between a German and a Jew, a love which succeeded despite great odds. She offers her advice on how…
How Laughter Can Heal–A Mennonite Actor's Journey after a Tragic Suicide
I love when comedy arises out of tragedy. So I loved Ted Swartz’s memoir. Here’s how he starts the book: My review of Laughter Is Sacred Space: The Not-so-Typical Journey of a Mennonite Actor appeared in the October 15 issue of Mennonite World Review. Read it by going directly to the link or by continuing below….