The Memoir Revolution

Tag: courage

August 8, 2017

Tragedy and courage in memoirs

Grief/Loss

Carol Henderson, courage, essay, Grief, hope, Losing Malcolm, loss, memoir, terror

After all these years of reading memoirs, I’m deepening my understanding of the grieving subgenre, and seeing how the horror of loss leads to the wisdom of acceptance. In Losing Malcolm by Carol Henderson, the author almost goes mad. To compensate me for accompanying her to the depths, she lets me climb with her to…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
January 5, 2015

A Memoir About Not Falling Apart

Inner and Outer Story, Julie Freed

courage, fear, Hurricane Katrina, Julie Freed, memoir, Susan Jeffers

To increase our resiliency, we practice self-help strategies such as using encouraging self-talk. We center ourselves through relaxed breathing and other meditative strategies of “being here now.” We reach out for support from others. We pray. And we read inspiring memoirs like Julie Freed’s Naked.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 9, 2013

How Can an Adult Learn to Write Stories?

Aging, Courage to Write, Family

Aging, courage, Family, fear, groups, motivation, social anxiety, Storytelling, Toastmasters, Writing

For decades I assumed that since I had not grown up telling stories, I would never learn. Then in my fifties, I became interested in memoir writing. The problem was that without storytelling skills, I would never be able to write the story of my life.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
July 20, 2010

Stephen Markley Interview Part 4: Structure of a Memoir

Author Interview

author, career, courage, interview, memoir, meta, parody, Publish, risk, satire, Stephen Markley, structure

by Jerry Waxler The first thing that caught my attention when I picked up Stephen Markley’s “Publish this Book” was that it was a parody of itself, a memoir about “writing this very book.” This trick of self-conscious awareness, or “meta” as it has come to be called, played a big role in my thought…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
July 16, 2010

Stephen Markley Interview Part 3: Satire, Truth, and Risk

Author Interview

author, career, courage, interview, launching, memoir, risk, satire, Stephen Markley

But the kind of writing I do–and the kind of writer I want to be–is pretty much predicated on the idea that I am going to swing for the fences more often than not. What some call fearlessness, others will call dreck, and there ain’t a whole lot I can do about that.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
June 15, 2010

Courage to Write, Passion to Read

Book Review, Family, Grief/Loss

bibliophile, Book Review, courage, Grief, healing, Literature, mourning

Before I even purchased the book, I knew from the blurb that the author was an English Literature professor at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. I knew that “Courage to Walk,” was about the crippling and potentially deadly illness of a second son, and I knew about the death of Robert and Linda’s oldest…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
April 21, 2010

Fear of publishing: Try these ten (more) tips to increase courage

Courage to Write, Self Help for Writers

courage, emotions, How-to, public, Publishing, shame, Shy, social anxiety, suggestions, therapy, Toastmasters

While much has been written about how to market your book, there is relatively little guidance for the emotional struggle. Because I have had to cope with my own social anxiety, I have been studying this issue for years, reading self-help books, and incorporating lessons from my formal training in counseling psychology, and trying the…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
April 13, 2010

Too shy to publish your memoir? Try these ten tips to reach towards strangers

Courage to Write, Overcome Obstacles, Publish

courage, public, Publishing, shame, Shy, social anxiety

Reasons for avoiding the public come in many voices, each one asserting a sense of urgency or even danger. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by these concerns, seek solutions. Remember that writing a memoir is a journey. You don’t need to solve every obstacle before you start. Just solve the ones that stop you.

Written by

Jerry Waxler
October 30, 2009

Philadelphia Push To Publish, Lessons in Courage from a Writing Conference

Courage to Write, Philadelphia Regional

community, courage, craft, essay, memoir, Philadelphia, story, tips, Writers Conference

Funderburg went on to read a passage from her recently published memoir, which I have not yet had an opportunity to read, called “Pig Candy: Taking My Father South, Taking My Father Home: A Memoir.” It’s about discovering her relationship with her father while he was dying of cancer. The passage was rich in imagery,…

Written by

Jerry Waxler
August 21, 2009

Fearlessly Confessing the Dark Side of Memory in this Memoir of Sexual Abuse

Book Review, Courage to Write, Heal from Abuse

Book Review, child abuse, courage, essay, Family, healing, sexual abuse, Trauma

Some dark memories are so compelling they draw you in and frighten or upset you. If you try to seal them back in their crypt, they remain squirming in the dark. Or you can face them fearlessly, and stay with them until you can shape them into a story. By using your words to describe…

Written by

Jerry Waxler