A How to on Memoirs

Trea, Jade, Grace and Taylor

Activity I
Take 5-10 minutes to write down a memory
-Something that has had some significance in your life
-Preferably from childhood
-Be factual and objective
(We will do more with this later)

Definition
- different from an autobiography (though separated by a fine
line)
- the defining factor is simply time

Criteria
-

focus on the past

recreate moments
could include fact or fiction
experiences put in historical/cultural context

Criteria
- usually first person POV
- include past and present perspectives
- looks at things that have been overlooked or forgotten in
ones life
- reflective

Examples
Discuss the readings that you did for homework:
- what are the similarities and differences between the stories if any?
- what elements of a memoir did you see in the readings? any discrepancies?

Early Memoirs
Earliest memoirs- Roman Empire
Julius Caesar- The Conquest of Gaul

Medieval times- mostly religious

Renaissance- higher literacy rates
Puritans- conversion narratives

Developing the Genre

Daniel Defoe- Robinson Crusoe
Romanticism- window to the soul
Henry David Thoreau- Walden
Walt Whitman- Leaves of Grass

19th century- relationships with others

20th century- social statement, mental
illness, addiction, poverty, etc.
Frank McCourt- Angelas Ashes

Modern Memoirs
Late 20th century- started using the
word memoir more
Celebrity memoir trend
Amy Poehler- Yes Please

Ghostwriters
Modern memoirs are more popular when
they are actually true

Subgenres
Memoirs have now branched out as history went on
What do they all have in common?
Each memoir
Reconstructs the experience or events
Builds scenes and conveys the significance
Uses various literary devices

The writer must mine his/her memories

Subgenres
How are they all different?
Personal
War/Military
Food
Spiritual
Romance
Coming of Age

Food
Impassioned descriptions of unusual and well loved comestibles
Cultural Identity, Ethnic Community and Family
Imagery
Links smell and taste with strong emotions and memories
The Physiology of Taste

Spiritual
Particular attention is paid to the mysteries
Places ones life in relationship to something greater
A means to spiritual growth
Intimate conversation between the writer and a mystery
Praises or address the sacred in prayer
The Confessions of St. Augustine
Life of Saint Teresa

Activity II
Take your memory from the beginning of class and stylize it into a memoir.
Heres some tips for converting truth to fiction
Dont be afraid to bend the truth, be convincing
Cut it down to the most essential elements
Consider what makes the story compelling
Keep the criteria of a memoir in mind

Works Cited *scholarly

Andrew, Elizabeth. Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir. Boston: Skinner House, 2005.
Google Books. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
"Autobiographical Fiction: Using Your Real Life To Craft Great Fiction." LitReactor. LitReactor, 29 Feb. 2012. Web.
10
Oct. 2015.
"Criteria for a Short Memoir." Criteria for a Short Memoir (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
*Harari, Yuval Noah. Military Memoirs: A Historical Overview of the Genre from the Middle Ages to the Late Modern
Era.
War in History 14.3 (2007): 289-309. Print.
Images sourced from Google.
Kihlstrom, John. Memoir. University of California, Berkeley. University of California, Berkeley, 14 September 2015.
Web.
8 October 2015.
Memoir: Historical Genre. Encyclopdia Brittanica. Encyclopdia Brittanica, n.d. Web. 8 October 2015.Kelms,
Brian A. "Memoir vs. Autobiography." WritersDigest.com. N.p., 08 May 2013. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.
Mrduttfn. "New Lives." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Lumbert, Julia. "Why I Am Who I Am." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Scriba. "Seasons of Love." Teen Ink. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2015.
Shmoop. Whats a Memoir? Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 11 June 2013. 10 October 2015.
*Waxman, Barbara F. Food Memoirs: What They Are, Why They Are Popular, and Why They Belong in the