Magical Memoir Moments
Shirley Kurtz on the Difference Between Writing Memoir and Fiction
Welcome today to Shirley Kurtz, another memoirist and Mennonite. Shirley and I graduated from Eastern Mennonite College (now university) and both of us have used our English majors as writers all our lives. Shirley, however, began writing books long ago and has published one memoir, several children’s books, and now a novel. I asked her to reflect…
Left Brain/Right Brain TED Talk–Resolving Opposites
My friend Susan posted a TED talk on facebook recently (see below) that has helped me think about one of the more perplexing themes of my memoir: how opposites attract, fight,resolve, and need each other. Here’s a set of my opposites: Mother/Daddy Pride/Humility Church/World Staying/Leaving Does this video help explain or resolve any opposites for…
Janet Oberholtzer: Because I Can
Janet Oberholtzer and I have a lot in common. We both grew up Mennonite in Pennsylvania. We are both living lives we never imagined as children. Janet’s story, as you can see from her memoir book jacket, describes her miraculous recovery from a terrible accident. I have been gently turning down offers to read and…
The Accidental Memoirist: How a Writer's Rare Disease Became the Catalyst to "Overnight" Literary Success
I am thrilled to share with you a lovely essay written by Jon Reiner, whose new memoir describes what it is like to live with the medical command NBM, nothing by mouth — no food, no drink. For three months. If you want an excellent introduction to the memoir, read the Esquire essay that preceded it. Now…
A Book Contract — A Dilemma and An Idea
Big news for 100memoirs.com. After three years and 302 posts blogging about other people’s memoirs, I have a book contract of my own. The contract was completed August 5. It’s taken me three months to tell my readers about it. I was tempted to go incognito and then spring the surprise when the book was…
Composing a Life: Counterpoint in Memoir
If you missed Fine Arts 101, read Lanie Tankard’s review below and click on all the links. You will enjoy the ride–especially since a lot of those links take you to countries and cities in Europe. Lanie is heading off to Singapore soon. We’re all lucky she squeezed this fine review of an excellent memoir…
Dialogue and Memoir: A Challenge, A Method, and Two Mentors
Like 497, 651 other people, I have “liked” David Sedaris on Facebook. You can too, if you click on his name. You can help his PR people to say he has half a million FB fans. Wow! Recently an interview with Sedaris appeared on his page that reminded me of something I am struggling with…
Sisterhood of the Wild Rose: A Review of Moonlight on Linoleum
I met Terry Helwig when she brought her amazing Thread Project to The Fetzer Institute several years ago. I could tell then that her passion for peace comes from a deep place. Lanie Tankard’s review of Helwig’s new memoir confirms the resilient transformation that made her mature contribution to peacemaking possible. Moonlight on Linoleum: A…
Literary Brooklyn: A Living Inspiration
While browsing in the Greenlight Bookstore on Fulton Street, I encountered this recent book about Brooklyn writers. The author, Evan Hughes, landed not one but two book reviews in The New York Times, one by Dwight Garner and another by Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts. Both are worth reading. And the book, if you live in Brooklyn or plan…