Magical Memoir Moments
A Memoir that Awakens the Spiritual Version of the American Dream
This morning, as is our habit, my husband and I attended Skyridge Church of the Brethren. Our pastor Debbie preached about healing, using as a lectionary text Psalm 30, the one that promises, in the majestic language of the King James Bible, that “weeping endureth for the night but joy cometh in the morning.” This…
Six-Word Memoir Valentine's Day Special
If you have not yet discovered the joy of the six-word memoir, here’s a past post that will fill you in–a lecture at Google by the authors of this book: And if you missed this week’s long NPR segment on six-word memoirs on love and heartbreak, here’s the link that will take you there. Below…
Memoir: "Bag Lady's" Antidote to Losing Her Madoff-Managed Fortune
It had to happen. Someone who lost a fortune in the scandalous Madoff swindle would write about it and get a book contract. What’s amazing to me is the speed at which this double transformation transpired. Madoff was charged with massive fraud on Dec. 11, 2008. Six days later, one of his victims, Alexandra Penney,…
Flying First Class: All the Way from Minneapolis to San Francisco
One of the great pleasures of work involving travel is that sometimes a kindred spirit happens to sit in the seat next to you. I was blessed by such an encounter yesterday. It started when another business traveler, Rose, and I were seated in 8-D and 8-F. She had the aisle. I had the window….
Writing Down the Bones: Slow and Dumb
I remember reading this breakthrough book soon after it was published in the late 1980’s. I don’t remember how I bought the book, and I don’t have the old copy on my shelf, so I may have loaned or given it away, Mostly, I remember how I felt after reading it. High! I had never…
Memoir Controversy: Does Gender Matter?
My friend Sonia, who is doing a fantastic job of blogging about her experience as an expatriate in many different countries (check out http://gutsywriter.blogspot.com) and who has written a memoir about taking her family, including three teenage sons, to Belize for a year, sent me the following link. Apparently, the life stories of women and…
Slumdog Millionaire: A Metaphor for the Power of Memoir
Well, folks, it may be time to create a new category. I saw a lot of good movies this holiday season. Did you? Here’s the list of ones I saw: Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, Doubt, Milk,and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I recommend each of these films, and all of them have connections to memoir,…
The Latest Memoir Controversy: Angel at the Fence
“Read all about it!,” the newsboys could be saying, if there were newsboys today. “Another memoir bites the dust!” “Oprah decides to vet all future memoirists with truth serum!” Of course, there is brand new president, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and an economic meltdown to report on, too, but, hey, memoir dishes up conflict…