Customer Reviews

The Memoir Book

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Nothing hones and deepens one's knowledge of a subject like years spent teaching it in the classroom--answering questions and seeing multiple perspectives through the eyes of students. Patty Miller uses her twenty years of teaching experience to show the reader how broad the field is--she includes personal essay and travel writing as memoir and explains the distinctions among terms like "memoir" and "memoirs." Each chapter includes some exercises useful to both students and teachers. Highly recommended as an introductory overview and helpful guide. See my blog post for more about definitions of the basic vocabulary of the field, borrowing heavily from Miller: http://www.100memoirs.com/2008/09/definitions-memoir-memoirs-autobiographyand-more/

I picked this gem up and it's been invaluable. Every time I've opened I've gleaned the exact thing I needed to keep going with the writing process. Miller tackles many important issues that memoirists face, such as structure, narrative strands and and boundaries, and does so in an accessible & enjoyable style.

If you're writing a memoir I'd definitely recommend this book.