If living is an art, it must be practiced with diligence before being done with ease. Yet almost nothing in our culture prepares us for reflection on the great themes of existence: courage, friendship, listening, dignity--those everyday virtues that can transform our world. Because AARP believes it's never too late (or too early) to learn, they, together with Sterling Publishing, have created the About Living series to address these crucial issues. Each entry will be written by only the best authors and thinkers. Thinking About Memoir, the first of these volumes, helps adults look back at their past and use writing as a means of figuring out who they used to be and how they became who they are today. It's written by Abigail Thomas, whose own memoir A Three Dog Life was selected as one of the Best Books of 2006 by the LA Times and the Washington Post and called "perfectly honed" (Newsweek), "bracingly honest" (Vanity Fair), and "stunning" by the Los Angeles Book Review. Thomas writes that memoir can consist of looking back at a single summer or the span of a whole life. Through her experience as a writing teacher, she knows how difficult that can be; this book is about the habit of writing as a way to keep track of what's going on in the front and the back of your mind. It inspires different ways for us to look at the moment we're in right now and will help would-be memoirists find their own "side door" into a subject. Thomas writes eloquently about how to get started and find that jumping-off point for your work, and provides exercises that liberate our creativity, enable us to get the distance and perspective we need, and open our eyes to possibilities that may not at first seem obvious. Whether your words are for publication, for your loved ones, or for you alone, Thomas makes the process fulfilling, thoughtful, and even fun.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Okay...:
Too much of this book seemed like I'd stumbled across her diary and was now reading it. Which can be a lot of fun, BUT...it wasn't very interesting. Some of her personal stories seemed shoe-horned to fit her point. The exercises were all right, not very challenging or original though. I liked it well enough because it got me to think about the format of memoir, but I think that this book should be very clearly marketed to beginning writers.
Wanna dive right in? This is a great jump start.:
This delightful little book (and I do mean little) that I picked up on a whim surprised me. One of the things that troubles many new memoirists, I believe, is - strange as it sounds - where to begin and which stories to tell. Deliberately selecting scenes from the past sometimes delivers forced results. Abigail Thomas invites memoirists to enter memory and meaning through "side doors" and she offers numerous writing exercises to help you get going. I completed several of them and will likely use the... more info
Not just thinking anymore, but actually writing!:
In her book, "Thinking About Memoir," Abigail Thomas vanquishes a lot of preconceived notions of what a memoir should be. After reading her little book and doing some of the exercises, I went back to my memoir which I had started ten years ago with renewed energy and perspective. Her book is a great release and shows how to make it a true accounting of your life.
Expectations:
I expected more. I learned just as much from the review/excerpt in AARP magazine as I did from the book.
Vincent
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