Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Fearless Confessions is such a dynamic guide to memoir writing it has inspired me to completely refine and retool the memoir I m working on. Sue William Silverman, a faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, is an amazing master of the language. Her prose is as enjoyable as it is instructive. This should be an essential textbook of any creative writing course. She gives examples of memoir pieces and analyzes each one, showing how they work, why they're powerful, and even why some fail to impress. --15-Minutes Magazine

I dutifully recommend Lamott's Bird by Bird, Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and King's On Writing to my students each term, but I find that I'm particularly excited to inform them of Silverman's new book. Her writing has a...tone that's...both accessible to readers and uncompromising in its rigorous investigation of what makes for compelling memoir. --The Writer Magazine

If you are writing a memoir, read Fearless Confessions. There are some things that can't be taught in a book, but Sue Silverman teaches you everything that can be! The author of two stunning memoirs herself, she breaks down the complex weaving of a story into discrete elements, such as detail, voice, and plot, with clear, useful guidance on each aspect. Invaluable! --Ellen Bass, author of The Human Line

Review

"If you are writing a memoir, read Fearless Confessions. There are some things that can't be taught in a book, but Sue William Silverman teaches you everything that can be! The author of two stunning memoirs herself, she breaks down the complex weaving of a story into discrete elements, such as detail, voice, and plot, with clear, useful guidance on each aspect. Invaluable!"--Ellen Bass, author of The Human Line

"Fearless Confessions is such a dynamic guide to memoir writing it has inspired me to completely refine and retool the memoir I’m working on. Sue William Silverman, a faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, is an amazing master of the language. Her prose is as enjoyable as it is instructive. This should be an essential textbook of any creative writing course. She gives examples of memoir pieces and analyzes each one, showing how they work, why they're powerful, and even why some fail to impress."--15 Minutes Magazine

"I dutifully recommend Lamott's Bird by Bird, Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and King's On Writing to my students each term, but I find that I'm particularly excited to inform them of Silverman's new book. Her writing has a tone that's both accessible to readers and uncompromising in its rigorous investigation of what makes for compelling memoir."--The Writer Magazine

“Fearless Confessions is a must. I love the way Sue William Silverman exposes the process she used in creating her much acclaimed Love Sick—its struggles, exposures, and empowerment—to teach. A masterful nonfiction writer, Silverman uses her story to guide readers through their own process: how to grasp the use of the senses, mimetic detail, scene, and much more. Her discussion of the Voice of Innocence and the Voice of Experience is sure to become a classic. This book is truly indispensable."--Suzanne Paola, coauthor of Tell It Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction

"Sue William Silverman has yet again written a book that needs to be written, in this case an indispensable guide to the writing of memoir, especially those we might deem 'confessional.' The confessional has long held a vaunted though sometimes controversial place in Western literature, and Silverman not only redeems the value of confession artistically but quite pragmatically gives the novice a means of giving voice to what was previously jumbled and ineffable."--Robin Hemley, author of Do-Over!

"I've wanted a book like this for the courses I teach on memoir and am looking forward to putting it to good use. Silverman's Fearless Confessions is a valuable guide not only for students and teachers but also for those outside the academy who are interested in writing memoir but are uncertain of how to begin."--Janet Mason Ellerby, author of Following the Tambourine Man: A Birthmother's Memoir

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: University of Georgia Press (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 082033166X
• ISBN-13: 978-0820331669
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #25,382 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Resource!, June 18, 2009

By	Mary Domenico (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Sue William Silverman has accomplished the rare feat of offering writers a craft book that won't simply get thumbed through and abandoned. Avoiding the usual rehash of basics, Silverman concentrates on what matters most to a memoirist - How do you identify and effectively contrapose the voice of your younger, less-experienced self with your wiser, reflective voice? How do you devise plot powerful enough to make leaps from mere story to universal meaning? How do you sift through the images sparked by your material to find expressive metaphors? Her provocative theoretical discussions are coupled with practical instruction. Particularly useful are Silverman's exercises, which are not run-of-the-mill prompts but detailed progressions that dig deeply and, even for an experienced writer, yield surprising results.

If you've ever been made to feel your story isn't worth telling or pressured to adapt your reality to the market, in Silverman you will find an intelligent and convincing advocate. No craft book can give you everything needed to embark on a new book, but she goes a long way toward equipping you for the journey. I wish I'd read this book before I wrote my first memoir; I'll welcome it as a companion during my second.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellence!, June 18, 2009

By	writer2 "GJL" (Boston) - See all my reviews

"A friend suggested this book to me. Boy, I'm glad she did. I was stump on how to get started writing a story I've been wanting to pen for many years. The book is filled with information, but it doesn't feel like a text book. Because the writing is so clear, the information just sinks in. After spending the past four years at college, it's refreshing to pick up a craft book that one can enjoy."


"I heard Sue's voice in my ear as I read this book, and now that I am sitting down in front of my computer, gearing up to write, she is there is the background reminding me to use effective verbs, to fearlessly dig for meaning and to choose metaphors that will add layers to my work. Thanks Sue for this book, a gift to the fearful writer."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best guide to writing available, June 17, 2009

By	Michael D. Hemery - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can attest, first hand, that the writing method contained within these pages works. Sue William Silverman offers a grounded approach to both the micro and macro levels of writing. The book offers practical assistance with common writing issues (using more active words, voice, dialogue, and tense) to more nonfiction-specific concerns (voice of innocence/experience and truth/memory). I teach this book to both my creative writing classes and my literature courses--as a way to approach nonfiction.

Prior to utilizing Sue's method I was having little success with publishing, but within one year after heading her advice within this book I landed eight publications. I will now be following her suggestions in this book to find a home for my full collection of essays. There is no other resource that is as comprehensive and helpful for new and experienced writers as this book. A must have for anyone who is even thinking of telling his or her story.