The Memoir Revolution

Category: Literary Publication

May 22, 2015

Why Memoirs Should be Taught as Literature Part 1

Literary Publication, reading

60’s, canon, existentialism, Literature, memoir

As an intellectual young man, I desperately sought lessons about life. Unfortunately, I was born at a time when the message embedded in almost every book taught that there’s really no point to grow up at all. It’s true that great literature contained an internal elegance and brilliance, but the underlying message was awful.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
November 1, 2011

Interview with an Indian Lifestory Author, Part 2

Author Interview, International, Literary Publication

Bhaswati Ghosh, Hyderabad, India, journal, Lifestory, Short Story, travel

About six or seven years back, I joined an online writing community, the first for me, which mostly consisted of Americans as members. My interactions with these writing buddies enhanced my knowledge of Americanisms more than American English. That and reading international publications has enabled me to develop a style that I hope appeals to…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 18, 2011

Short Story and Six Writing Prompts: Locate Love in Space

Literary Publication, Short Story

Bhaswati Ghosh, literary publication, memoir, Short Story

I am mainly interested in full length memoirs, so when I clicked on a short life story about a woman in India, I only intended to glance at it. However, the style and subject matter drew me in and before I knew it, I reached the end. “Dispatch: Love in Hyderabad” by Bhaswati Ghosh expanded…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
June 1, 2010

Interview about the relationship between literature and life

Author Interview, Literary Non-fiction, Literary Publication

author, father, grieving, interview, Literature, memoir, professor, son

Literature can teach us important lessons about life; it can give us strength, as you suggest. When we read good literature, we realize we are not alone. We learn about empathy, about ourselves and about others. As the story unfolds, our own lives unfold. We see ourselves and others, understand the complexity of human character,…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
December 31, 2009

Author Interview: Curtis Smith talks about publishing in Literary Journals

Author Interview, Literary Non-fiction, Literary Publication

Author Interview, Creative Nonfiction, Curtis Smith, essay, Literary Journals, literary nonfiction, Philadelphia Stories, Publishing, Short Story

At this year’s Philadelphia Stories Push to Publish conference, Curtis Smith played an important role, by throwing in a few choice comments about how much fun writing is. (To read more about his comments, click here ). One of the parts of writing that seemed to be working especially well for Curtis was his regular…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
December 4, 2009

Looking for the onramp at Philadelphia “Push To Publish” writer’s conference

Literary Non-fiction, Literary Publication, Philadelphia Regional

conference, Creative Nonfiction, Literary Journals, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Stories, Publish, Writers

by Jerry Waxler At the Philadelphia Stories’ “Push to Publish” conference in the Fall of 2009, I peered into a room filled with cabaret tables, each with an editor on one side and an empty chair on the other. Christine Weiser, who along with Carla Spataro organized the conference, stood guard at the door. When…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
January 22, 2009

Stylistic innovation in Sean Toner’s clown story

How-to, Literary Non-fiction, Literary Publication

Creative Nonfiction, How-to, humor, Literary Non-fiction, literary style, writing tips

By focusing tightly on each moment he brought me into his world, endowing scenes with color and character, creating depth of emotion and variety of insight. Toner’s exquisite attention on small details provided me with so much pleasure I was sorry to see it end.

Written by

Jerry Waxler