a problem with memoirs
Recently during a Google search, “The Problem with Memoirs” popped up. Neil Genzliner wrote it for The New York Times. As a memoir writer, I never considered memoirs having a problem, but apparently Genzliner did. “A moment of silence, please, for the lost art of shutting up,” he said. This writer was successful in delivering his goal; he got my attention. I wondered why he was so miffed. He explains as he continues declaring our current age of oversharing (his observation in 2011) when his Amazon search produced about “40,000 [...]
tracking memories underfoot
You will take over 200 million steps in your lifetime. Imagine if your feet could narrate a travelogue, reporting miles and destinations, while they are at rest, and injuries they may have sustained. They dance and run, burrow in sand, hold you in mountain pose. Your feet have tracked memories, recording the spot beneath them together with the merging of your heart and mind to make lasting impressions” Fred Astaire said, “I just put my feet in the air and move them around.” What joy our feet can give us, [...]
a wish
Wishing all my followers a Happy Holiday from all things Under the Birch Tree. ?
when a memoir may not really be one
Recent headlines for book reviews in the Chicago Tribune caught my attention. “Springsteen’s Father Looms Large in Born to Run Autobiography.” A few months later another headline claimed, “Anna Kendrick’s memoir: A simple song, pitch-perfect.” And then a small blurb said Caitlyn Jenner has an upcoming memoir due out in April. I noticed how these books claimed autobiography and memoir labels, but I questioned if they really were what they purported to be. As I consider reviews, blurbs and other forms of a book’s marketing and promotional tools, I want [...]
how I answered a call for submission
I usually don’t answer calls for writing submissions. That’s not to say I don’t read the calls but knowing that my writing is up against the caliber of professional writers is enough for me to retreat and surrender. My inner critic moves me along to the next call for submission when she reminds me my ho-hum writing may not being at a level yet to be recognized. I reasoned unless I could answer a call with a unique idea, perhaps a one-of-a-kind piece of work, I would move on. When [...]
“The Magic of Memoir”
My memoir writing journal unfolded without an analytical thought granted to the actual writing process. I had been a journaler, starting when I was fifteen when my mother showed me a pink book with shiny darker pink letters "My Journal" were engraved on the cover. She handed me the book telling me, "It's yours." I eyed the clasp as I took it from her, acknowledging my words could be sealed, closed within its pages with a click of its fastening. My earliest recollection of my writing on those first pink [...]
the magic of memoir
...an inspiration for the writing journey As one of 38 writers selected to share my essay, "I Called you a Memoir," for this collection, you will find stories of wisdom, tips for managing the inner-critic, strategies, motivation and lessons learned. Now available on Amazon.
Know When To Fold, a reblog
I found the lead to this story buried in the last paragraph. But reading through Allison Williams' thought process to get her to that point was a shared experience by most writers.