Writing the Memoir

Judith Barrington's WRITING THE MEMOIR is a great resource for anyone interested in memoirs. Even if you're like me and are not into doing the exercises at the end of each chapter, you'll learn much from this well-written and researched book. There are wonderful excerpts from writers like Alice Walker, Kathleen Norris, Annie Dillard, Virginia Wolfe and especially Frank Conroy, whose stories about his family picketing his book signings put in context the question of whether to write your story as fiction or non-fiction. This is a book to read and re-read. Writers compelled to write their memoir will return to it again and again.

I have been telling my writing students to read this book since it first appeared. Barrington is herself a fine writer, known for her poems as well as her essays, and thus offers a model as well as solid advice/instruction for her readers. Most important for one who offers a guide not simply to writers, but specifically to those who choose to write memoir, she deals forthrightly with questions of truth, motive, ethics and responsibility - arenas often ignored or dealt with superficially, if not cavalierly. Her own recent memoir [Lifesaving] is a fine example of what writers may do when they approach both the craft and the art of memoir writing from the perspectives she offers in Writing the Memoir.

I teach memoir and have looked at nearly all the books on the subject. Writing the Memoir is by far the best (and as far as I can tell, the one most often used by classes). It's useful for a writer at any level. It's comprehensive, extremely well written, and has a kind tone. I'm a big fan of Judith Barrington's memoir, Lifesaving, and recommend that highly as well.

This book offers rich instruction on how to begin and keep going as you write the memoir. It guides you in generating original material to work with and structuring it into a shapely and compelling narrative. The many excellent exercises showcase Barrington's gifts as a teacher--in addition to her obvious talent as a writer. Her discussions of the ethics of memoir are useful touchstones for thinking through the issues ( & dilemmas) raised by writing about one's own life.

I decided that I wanted to write a memoir and then sought out to find books on how to write one. I read three before I got to this one, and I must say, that by far this is the best collection of writing insights, advice and encouragement I have come across. Every one of my questions and concerns were dealt with in this book. I began writing my memoir even before I finished reading "Writing the Memoir" and I did so with total confidence. I can't say enough about how helpful this book was.