Magical Memoir Moments

Are You a Pantser or a Plotter? Approaches to Memoir Writing and Life

Among writers, the question is this one: Are you a pantser or a plotter? When I first heard this question, I immediately linked it to my graduate adviser at the University of Texas at Austin. After I passed my Ph.D. exams, he said, Just think of finishing your dissertation this way: put your seat in…

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Hershey Chocolate: A Life-long Combination

Now that you know that the last two numbers have been written with Hershey chocolate syrup, and now that you know frugality is a life-long habit of mine, you are probably wondering how I put that syrup to good use. Shirley Hershey was my name for 21 years, and it’s still part of my identity….

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Dancing With Change — A Memoir About Parting

Today is the first day of the last week of taking care of Owen in Brooklyn. As I get ready to walk to Owen’s house, I am filled with gratitude and a little grief. Yesterday I took a walk in the park — Ft. Greene Park — on what might have been our last sunny…

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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…

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