Why We Write About Ourselves: Twenty Memoirists on Why They Expose Themselves (and Others) in the Name of Literature

(Paperback)

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For the many amateurs and professionals who write about themselves - bloggers, journal-keepers, aspiring essayists and memoirists - this book offers inspiration, encouragement and pithy, practical advice. Twenty of America's bestselling memoirists share their innermost thoughts and hard-earned tips with veteran author Meredith Maran, revealing what drives them to tell their personal stories, and the nuts and bolts of how they do it. With contributions from Edwidge Danticatt, A.M. Homes, Sue Monk Kidd, Edmund White and many more.

Reviews

Memoirists tell the truth and expose their beating black hearts in Why WeWrite About Ourselves. Vanity Fair

A terrific compendium of insight into the practical craft and philosophical dimensions of how and why the magnetism of memoir works over us and works us over, featuring contributions from masters of the genre[pair it with]Marans previous anthology, the marvelousWhy We Write a compendium of twenty celebrated writers reflections on why they do what they do and an excellent addition to thisevolving archive of timeless advice on the craft.BrainPickings

"This is a book designed to be dipped into. Because there is so much wisdom in these pages. So much is distilled. The very act of creating a memoir requires so much writing, sifting, considering, and more analysisBravissima."East Hampton Star

Memoirists have long faced the same set of questions: How much truth should you tell How many secrets can be exposed What if the truth isnot as you remember it They're all valid questions without easy answers, because it all depends on who you askand Maran (Why We Write)asked some heavy hitters. Library Journal

Reading memoirs, I have often wondered what leads someone to write something so intensely personal about not only themselves butthose around them. I have often wondered what impact a public memoir has on an author's personal life and relationships...These essays, to varying degrees, answer these questions. Memories from Books

The book features twenty well-known authors candidly disclosing the origins of their memoirs. In response to Editor Marans probing questions, achorus of diverse voices and varied motivations emerge from writers including Cheryl Strayed, Anne Lamott, Nick Flynn and James McBride. AuthorLink

Im not exactly sure what I was expecting from this book, but, wow, it blew me away. In Why We Write about Ourselves, twenty popular authorsshare their experiences of writing their own memoirs. They speak about revealing themselves, of being painfully honest, of protecting (or not) theones they love (or dont) After reading this book, oh man, my to-be-read list justgrew, like, exponentially. Bug Bug Book Reviews

Read this book if you have any designs on writing a memoir. It's a quick read (lessthan a week), it's entertaining, and it should help put you in the right frame of mind to accomplish your task. Flying Houses

You shouldnt have affairs. But definitely dont have one with a memoirist.Thats one of the few real conclusions I can draw fromWhy We Write About Ourselves,a collection ofreflections and justifications from 20 practitioners of the memoir art. You know theyre going to tell everyoneabout it. Its what they do. Its all they doArent those deepest intimacies precisely what were after when we pick up amemoir Washington Post

Author Bio

Meredith Maran, a passionate reader and writer of memoirs, is the author of thirteen nonfiction books and the acclaimed novelA Theory Of Small Earthquakes. Meredith also writes book reviews, essays, and features for newspapers and magazines includingPeople, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Salon.com,andMore. A member of the National Book Critics Circle, Meredith lives in a restored historic bungalow in Los Angeles, and on Twitter at @meredithmaran. Her next memoir is about starting over in Los Angeles.