Magical Memoir Moments
Let Us Now Praise Independent Bookstores, Public Libraries, and Local Newspapers
If it weren’t for independent bookstores and my local newspaper I would not be writing this blog. So this post is all about thanks and praise. There’s a role for you to play too, so keep reading! I got the idea to praise these outstanding local institutions by reading this delightful Ann Patchett essay in…
Seven Creative Skills You Need to Master in Order to Reinvent Your Life
What do Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt, Rembrandt, and your favorite memoir writer have in common? A lot more than you might think. The book below will teach you not only to recognize patterns in the lives of great artists but to become a great artist yourself–a “life change artist.” Becoming a Life-Change Artist: 7 Creative…
Never Underestimate The Power of the Pen to Change Lives
Sometimes we get surprised by joy–by the growth of seeds we planted but did not cultivate. On August 18, 2010, I was asked to attend a tea commemorating the beginning of the Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society at Eastern Mennonite University, my alma mater. Apparently, in 1994, when I gave a speech at EMU…
In Praise of Book Reviews and An Invitation to Review
Did you ever think about how important book reviews are? Jo Parfitt, over at Write Your Life Stories explains just why and how books and book reviews need each other in this post called “The brilliance of book reviews.” If you love to read, you can help your favorite author by writing a review. Using…
Memory of Trees: Another Farmer's Daughter Memoir
I love reviewing books for Christian Century magazine. If editor Richard Kauffman had not asked me to review this book, I may never have found it, and that would have been a great loss. You can find the review below in the August 24, 2010 issue. When it is posted online, I will link to…
Rosanne Cash: Composed
I have always had a fondness for the best of country music and have always enjoyed making fun of the worst. One thing is true about country music: you get a lot of memoir packed into most of those three-minute songs. Johnny Cash and Ruth Carter Cash were some of the best. When I heard…
Anniversaries of All Kinds: Blogging and Living Memoir
This week marks the second anniversary of www.100memoirs.com. After about 200 posts, more than 1000 comments, 35,000 hits and new links to Facebook and Twitter, this blog has brought me into the social media world, sometimes kicking and screaming, but always with a reward of new friendships. Thank you, dear readers, for helping me learn….
Toy Story 3: A Memoir Stimulus Package
When Stuart and I saw Toy Story 3, I remembered one of our more delightful experiences while in Prague last year–a trip to the Toy Museum at the base of the huge castle in Prague, Czech Republic. At the time we visited, the museum displayed an amazing collection of Barbie dolls in honor of her…
How NOT to Write a Memoir: Susan Shapiro's Satirical Advice
Author and teacher Susan Shapiro outlines ten tips for how NOT to get your memoir published. The Writer Magazine is the source for this post.
Unfinished Business by Lee Kravitz: A Book Review
Like many of you, I am surrounded by books and paper everywhere I go. Here in the red chair, which serves as my favorite office, magazines spill over each other on the both sides of me. In front of me is the pile of paper I scooped off my work desk on the way out…