Post #29 – Women’s Memoirs, Book Raves – Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett
Linda Joy Myers tells a compelling life story written as a series of vignettes that reveal a multi-generational pattern of abandonment and eventual healing. Myers, a marriage and family therapist, wrote in the voice of the first person speaking in the present tense.
As you decide which voice and tense to use, consult this book to understand the dramatic impact on the reader of this combination. From the author’s perspective, Myers says the choice “forced me to integrate the self that I was with the witness I have become.”
As you read this memoir, you’ll also notice the importance of trains in her life, representing separations and reunions, new ventures and returning home. Is there some thread that has run through your life that could be woven into your memoir? This may not be obvious to you initially. As you read what you have written, look for patterns or elements that are repeated. You may be able to draw this out to create an interesting framework for your story.
Myers, also an artist, creates vitality and vividness in the people and places she shares with us through the use of color in her descriptions. What passions do you have — gardening, sports, cooking, art, music — that might enhance the telling of your story?
If you’d like to hear Linda Joy Myers talk about her memoir writing experiences, Click Here.
Linda Joy Myers, in addition to being a memoirist and therapist, is also the founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers. To find out more about NAMW, Click Here.
