Pure Inspiration

Mantel on Memoir plus an open mic 🎤 invitation

Hi and welcome in to a quickie blast of inspiration:

Memoir is not an easy form. It’s not for beginners, which is unfortunate, as it is where many people do begin. It’s hard for beginners to accept that the unmediated truth often sounds unlikely and unconvincing. If other people are to care about your life, art must intervene. The writer has to negotiate with her memories, and with her reader, and find a way, without interrupting the flow, to caution that this cannot be a true record: this is a version, seen from a single viewpoint. But she has to make it as true as she can. Writing a memoir is a process of facing yourself, so you must do it when you are ready.

~ “By the Book,” The New York Times Book Review

Your turn 🎤:

Do you have a favorite memoir quote? Share.

Thanks, Jennifer 🍎