Meredith MaranRezensionen

I don't know editor Meredith Maras's method in compiling this book, but it looks like she distributed questionnaires to various big-name memoirists--Dani Shapiro, Pat Conroy, and Jesmyn Ward among them--and published this collection based on their one-sided answers. There's no one to ask follow-up questions, so the the memoirists' responses remain unchallenged. A little dialogue would have gone a long way.

I feel as though this book barely scratched the surface of memoir writing.

It is what it says it is, and it is a good read. I'm very new at the memoirist biz, and this was helpful, thought provoking and insightful.

Memoirs. Love them or hate them?

If you love them you'll definitely want to check out this book. If you hate them...you also may want to check this one out as it might help you appreciate memoirs (or, I suppose, it may solidify your hatred. Que sera, sera).

Although the publisher's blurb above is aimed toward writers, this book will also be of interest to readers of memoirs and an excellent resource for book groups that read memoirs.

When looking at a collection of essays featuring various writers, I tend to focus in on and enjoy those chapters by (or about) authors I already know and love. What was exciting for me about this book is that I was turned on to writers I haven't read or, in some cases, hadn't yet heard of.

There are twenty writers featured:

Ishmael Beah
Kate Christensen
Pearl Cleage
Pat Conroy
Kelly Corrigan
Edwidge Danticat
Meghan Daum
Nick Flynn
A. M. Homes
Sue Monk Kidd
Anne Lamott
Sandra Tsing Loh
James McBride
Dani Shapiro
David Sheff
Darin Strauss
Cheryl Strayed
Ayelet Waldman
Jesmyn Ward
Edmund White

Each chapter follows this format:

-An opening quote from the writer's work
-A short intro to the writer
-A text box listing the writer's vitals (birthday, home, family, social media, etc)
-A text box listing his or her collected works
-Then comes the meat: the writer starts off by answering the question, "Why I write about myself"and takes of from there for a few or more pages, writing about their writing experience
-The chapter ends with a bullet pointed list of advice for memoir writers

I really dig this format. It gives the reader a well-rounded and consistent introduction to each writer and then lets the writer say what he or she wants to say. I now want to read everything that all twenty writers wrote (Been there, done that only in the case of Pat Conroy). I must admit that there are some popular memoirs written by a few of these writers that I avoided because they were so popular. (Yes, I'm one of those readers who sometimes avoids popular books. When I eventually read them I tend to enjoy the hell out of them.) I will keep this book in my reference section. It will be helpful to re-read a writer's chapter either before or after I read their memoir. It certainly encouraged me to press on with my own memoir writing.

In a book filled with helpful advice and great insights on just about every page, here are two that resonated with me:

*Favorite quote from an writer I'm familiar with: "Memoirs hurt people. Secrets hurt people. The question to ask yourself is, if you tell your story, will it do enough good to make it worth hurting people?" ~ Pat Conroy
*Favorite quote from a writer I haven't yet read: "I firmly believe that there are things we already know and spend a lot of time resisting. You can try, but the amount of energy you spend trying not to know what you already know will be exhausting." ~ A.M. Homes

http://wildmoobooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/memoirs-love-them-or-hate-them-why-we.h...

A great little book about the best and worst of times from 20 authors who currently enjoy more success than they ever imagined.

It is a wonderful compilation of essays by 20 American authors. Most of them read like a straight from the heart conversation and provide a lot of practical advice to aspiring writers. However the context is limited to being a writer publishing in the United States. Hence some of the operational matters are irrelevant for readers from other parts of the world.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in LGBT issues and wondering how they can be supportive. For members of the community, this book can serve as affirmation. For their allies, this book provides lessons and advice. For anyone needing to learn more, this book will provide information and lessons. As the title suggests, this book gives 50 ways to support LGBT equality. Though the editors used "Lesbian and Gay" in the title, the book is more comprehensive and diverse looking at issues for transgender and bisexual people as well.

The book is arranged in sections, and each section contains a short essay. The authors are a diverse group representing various interests and communities. Some are activists. Others are authors. All have a common interest. At the end of each essay, specific suggestions are given for ways to support the cause. I borrowed this book from my library, but this is one I would like to have on my own reference shelf. It is informative and educational. In addition, the short sections make it a very easy book to read. You can read it through as I did, or you can browse and find what interests you. It is also a book that lends itself to multiple readings.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interesting in LGBT equality. If for no other reason because LGBT equality is our cause, and besides it being a matter of human decency, if we do not speak out, we may as well be the next ones to suffer discrimination. I think I would like to recommend this book to librarians as well in order to be better informed on the subject, and the book belongs in just about any library collection.

Didn't get through the book before I had to return it. I might pick it up again.

This is an unexpectedly funny and uplifting memoir. From the cover blurb: Maran writes “a poignant story, a funny story, a moving story, and above all an American story of what it means to be a woman of a certain age in our time” (Christina Baker Kline)

Meredith Maran's marriage has dissolved, her Victorian house on the edge of Berkeley lies empty, and her free-lance writing life is in shambles - so what does she do? She accepts a full time writing job at a start up firm in Los Angeles. And thus begins one woman’s story of starting over at 60 in youth-and beauty obsessed Hollywood.

One can imagine moving to a new city, making new friends, trying to find love while in your twenties, but Ms. Maran makes this move in her sixties.

She's alone, missing her friends, her estranged wife, her family, and terror-struck at having to work with millennials ( she's a very good looking 60 -- but still it's that number 6-0, a great distance from the twenties).

She finds a cute and somehow affordable apartment in Los Angeles, granted it overlooks a convenience store air conditioning unit, but its hers and we delight as she decorates it from found objects and little bits from here and there. But still there's still the bittersweet-ness of being alone:

"Biggest. Surprise. Ever. That cheery feminist crap is true. For the first time since childhood, I’m responsible to no one. I can be Helena’s girlfriend or break with her without upsetting my kids or my own living situation or my finances. I can make money or rest on whatever laurels I’ve got without depriving anyone of anything. I can binge-watch Girls till midnight or go to sleep at nine. The bad news and the good news is the same. I have nothing and no one to lose."

Ms. Maran does make friends, discovers joy walking in the hills, and eventually goes on dates - some more successful than others.

She faces death in quick succession, her best friend back in the Bay Area and then her father. During the trips back, she sells her house, finalizes her divorce, and rids herself of belongings from her her former life. A roller coaster ride of emotions -- which Ms. Maran somehow makes both funny and heartbreaking.

Once in awhile a writer's voice will enchant a reader and Ms. Maran does just that. She twists what is actually heartbreaking loss into a story of resilience, love and humor. She never takes herself too seriously and her story of re-invention, re-discovery, and recovery is told with grace, wit and compassion. I adored this memoir.
See all my reviews at http://www.bookbarmy.com

I have always enjoyed books by Meredith Maran. They are compulsively readable; oftentimes fun, engaging, full of empathy and pizazz. The New Old Me has all of these characteristics with a heap of sadness and rawness to it given that it was written about her divorce and move to another city. Ms. Maran allows us to see how she makes her way through the anxiety and terror of being on her own again, away from her friends and the comforting rhythms of her life in San Francisco. Not only as a single woman but also as a older woman looking for work in a town that prizes youth. One of the best parts of the book is her quest for new friends. It was a hoot reading about her conscious decision to find friends through other friends and acquaintances and, wow, was that brave. I have recently moved to a new town and though slowly meeting people this gave me an entirely new way to look at friendships and companionship. I hope I have the nerve to follow in her footsteps.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.

Why We Write About Ourselves edited by Meredith Maran is a collection of twenty essays by memoirists. The book is written for the writers of memoirs or those considering writing a memoir. I am neither. However, I enjoy the "behind the scenes" look at how these works come to be. The positive and the negative of the book is that the points made by the different authors are similar, which means that patterns emerge but which also means that the book feels repetitive.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2015/12/why-we-write-about-ourselves.html

Reviewed for the Penguin First to Read program

This is a collection of essays by twenty different authors about why they write. While there was a lot of repetition (frequently "I can't not write"), I found many of the stories to be very interesting. I particularly liked the essay by Isabel Allende. She starts writing every book on January 8th. She writes in Spanish even though she is fluent in English. The same person always translates her works and Allende works closely with her, often correcting a word or choosing another instead. "I correct to the point of exhaustion," she says. David Baldacci's defense of "popular fiction" as opposed to "literary fiction" was also quite interesting. I have not read anything by Katherine Harrison, but after reading her essay, I want to.

Twenty well-known authors are all asked the same questions … the 5 W’s of writing. Their answers to these questions make up this book, along with a brief personal history, a synopsis of their work, the first paragraph of their newest offering and their advice to anyone considering writing as a career.

This was an interesting and informative little book, especially for someone who loves to read. I was familiar with all of the names in the book, but have not read works by every author included. Some good insights into how writing and publishing have changed over the years. Some really intriguing little quirks about the authors themselves as well.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book is being donated to an organization called 826 National, an innovative youth literacy program.

Meredith Maran wants to change the world and she lets you in a personal and enjoyable way. I love her writing and found reading a true story to be a nice change.

One of the things I loved about this book was the diversity of perspectives from the 20 authors who gave their opinions on why we write. We don't all write for the same reasons, but understanding the reasons why some others write can provide us insight into ourselves and our culture. The book is also inspirational and filled with advice and encouragement for authors. Highly recommended for authors and those who aspire to write.

Inspired by George Orwell's famous essay 20 authors elaborate on why they write, where do they get their inspiration, etc. ...
Although I'm not familiar with most of these writer's work this was a very enjoyable read. Success didn't come overnight for these people, they had to struggle a lot before becoming famous. I particularly liked that at the end of each chapter there is a part titled "Wisdom for Writers" where each of them give some special advice.
Jennifer Egan: "Exercising is a good analogy for writing. If you're not used to exercising you want to avoid it forever. If you're used to it, it feels uncomfortable and strange not to. No matter where you are in your writing career, the same is true for writing. Even fifteen minutes a day will keep you in the habit."

This book is a lot of fun for folks who live in Berkeley/Oakland area. I particularly enjoyed the timeline which begins in 1983 - a year of much importance in my East Bay life. I became involved in the journey the characters follow. I quite liked them....except for Allison, who is a complicated and interesting individual. This is a fine first novel from a writer who has written mostly non-fiction.

I had high hopes for this book but ultimately found it very frustrating. I didn't engage with Alison and found her internal monologue and questions mildly obnoxious. Also, when we get to the should we/shouldn't we have a kid...if you're that unsure, don't have a kid. With a man or a woman or a baster or an alien. Don't do it. What could have been an interesting look at desire and family dynamics and queer struggles comes out flat.

An interesting book. I couldn't relate to much of it, but I appreciated the personal perspective on early feminism.

If you are a writer, you will enjoy this book. If you are a reader you will like this book. And if you do,you will also be inspired by this book, even if you don't write. Why? Because each writer tackles the subject of their personal journey to the top of the book lists, talks about their work ethic, and seems to give an honest account of why they do what they do. So, no matter what your field, the short chapters devoted to each writer contain inspiration and tough talk on how to persevere at your passion. Their advice can be applied to any occupation. The stories they tell are amusing and surprising. Finding out how even superstars have their moments of doubt can be helpful to aspiring writers certainly, but the fact that they each began their respective careers out of an insatiable love for their craft can touch anyone, writer, musician, hairdresser or teacher.

Why We Write is enchanting to read, a book filled with the voices of twenty critically acclaimed writers, including Jennifer Egan, Kathryn Harrison, Isabel Allende and Ann Patchett. It’s reassuring to hear their frustrations, and yet their wonder with the writing process, the magic that can happen when characters take over a story and their passion for language and the craft. Many of them reveal the peace they feel when engaged in writing, how without it, they are not settled, not complete human beings. Each chapter features a summary of each writer, their basic bio and collective works, why they write, the idiosyncratic nuances of their process, their career journey, and their wisdom for other writers. Each one is a mentor for the inspiring writer, the reader can feel that they contribute with that intention. Author Meredith Maran has done a stellar job editing all of these entries, and she is donating a portion of her royalties to her not for profit that helps young people with their writing skills.

Reading about why authors write one would expect quite a bit of repetition and while there was of course some, this book turned out to be so much more. Why they write, where they write, interesting tidbits of their lives, what is important to them when they write and so much more. Allende is very picky with her word choices, Rick Moody wants his paragraphs to sing and Ann Patchett opened in book store in Tennessee after the closing of two bookstores and her closest friend is Elizabeth Gilbert. I am sure I will be reading many of these authors in the years to come and after reading this book I am pretty sure I will be reading their books just a little differently.

I had a really hard time with this book: the character of the author, so passive and easily influenced until all of a sudden, after ruining several lives and the external culture had shifted, she wasn't; the journalese style or really lack thereof; the large print and gray boxes to flush out the story.

Not sure why I finished it.

I enjoyed the narrative, confessional style of the writing. It was not written in a "sensational" way to leverage on "shock value," just with a flow of honesty and precision with analyzing the events of this "true story of false memory" (as the subtitle states).

I thoroughly enjoyed the journalistic touch to the book, such as the media clippings in between the main text, and the fierce investigation for the facts (justified according to the criteria of the time being perpetuated as the truth, such as having symbolic dreams) behind the author's beliefs for having repressed memories. This eventually culminates in an admission on the author's part that she had perpetrated a devastating injustice upon her own family, as a result of this modern-day episode of mass hysteria.

As I wrote in a comment on one of the reviews on Amazon, I do not think that Ms. Maran is speaking for people who have had genuine, recovered memories of abuse. This does not mean she does not care for these people, or discounts their memories entirely. The book is an account of [HER] LIE--a story of false memories, and believing that one was a victim of childhood sexual abuse, when in actual fact, one wasn't. She is sharing her experience, and people who went through this same "brainwashing"/"Planet Incest" experience, will be able to identify with her account. Nowhere in the book does she state that "and therefore, this means that those who did experience real sexual abuse, are all liars (because I realized I was falsely convincing myself into believing I'd had repressed memories of unspeakable childhood abuse)."

The two situations are completely different, and should be clearly distinguished in a person's mind, before they accuse the author of being hypocritical towards those who truly did have recovered memories. What about those who, like the author, were subject to this mass hysteria, and led themselves to believe that they had repressed memories of childhood sexual abuse? Those are the people who have been through trauma as well--based on public psyche and the whole "sex-abuse panic."

This book is one account of an individual who came to an eventual realization of the deception, and had the courage and clarity of conscience to take steps to rectify the damage she and her loved ones suffered, as a result of the deception (which was encouraged by psychologists/therapists of the time--such was the fashion, then). And it's a brave, intense, well-written account. It is evident that those who went through a similar experience appreciate this memoir.

"My Lie: A True Story of False Memory"--there couldn't be a more accurate title and subtitle. Best wishes to Ms. Maran.

For those of us who remember the "Planet Incest" therapy subculture of the 1980's, this is a highly readable look at how questionable accusations of sexual abuse nearly destroyed the author's family. Despite what the title implies, Maran didn't experience false memories of ritual abuse, as some did; she just took the repressed memory movement's dictum "if you think you were abused, you probably were," literally.

Maran is honest about the damage her accusations did to her family. It is easy to see how her then-lover, therapists, and even her profession as a journalist who wrote many stories on sexual abuse led her to believe the worst about her childhood and her relationship with her father..

For the most part, My Lie is well written, and a very quick read (I read it in two sittings). It does, however lose some of its momentum towards the end, as Maran interviews her relatives over restaurant meals described in excruciating detail.