When you look back on your own timeline, is there a strong theme that defines your life or ties it all together? That’s the premise on which a “themed” memoir is based. Immortalized as one of the classic books about mourning, The Year of Magical Thinking recounts the grief Didion endured the year following the death of her husband. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. The controversial account of the 1996 Everest disaster, as written by author-journalist Krakaeur, who was climbing the mountain on the same day that eight climbers were killed. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer. This is the seminal memoir that resulted. In July of 1845, Henry David Thoreau walked into the woods and didn’t come out for two years, two months, and two days. However, while the former might cover a period of years or even decades, the “event” memoir zeroes in on a clearly defined period of time - for instance, a two-month walk in the woods, or a three-week mountain climb, as you’ll see below.
Similar to the “experience” memoir, the “event” memoir centers on a single significant event in the author’s life. Adapted in 1999 into a critically acclaimed film starring Angelina Jolie, Girl, Interrupted enduringly recounts the author’s battle with mental illness and her ensuing 18-month stay in an American psychiatric hospital. (In case you’re wondering, we do not recommend deceiving your readers.) An account of drug and alcohol abuse that one reviewer called “the War and Peace of addiction,” this book became the focus of an uproar when it was revealed that many of its incidents were fabricated. Faced with the prognosis of terminal cancer at the age of thirty-six, Paul Kalanithi wrote an unforgettable memoir that tackles an impossible question: what makes life worth living?Ī Million Little Pieces by James Frey. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. What they discovered during (and after) the experience.The obstacles they needed to overcome and.How the author found themselves facing said experience.In an "experience" memoir, you can generally expect to learn about: Regardless of the situation, the writer overcomes it to share lessons learned from the ordeal. Typically, this experience involves a sort of struggle, such as a bitter divorce, illness, or perhaps a clash with addiction. One of the most popular memoirs that you’ll find on bookshelves, this type focuses on a specific experience that the author has undergone. Chacaby’s remarkable life - from growing up abused in a remote Ojibwa community to overcoming alcoholism and coming out as a lesbian as an adult - is captured in this must-read autobiography. Less of a singular memoir than a collection of humorous anecdotes framed around his life as a transplant to Paris, the star of this book is Sedaris’ dry voice and cutting humor.Ī Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby. The woman who Toni Morrison said “launched African American writing in the United States,” Angelou penned this searing memoir in 1969, which remains a timeless classic today. I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou.
However, don’t be deceived! As you’ll be able to tell from the examples below, this type of memoir shines based on three things: the strength of the author’s story, the strength of the story’s structure, and the strength of the author’s voice. The autobiographical memoir - a retelling of one’s life, from beginning to present times - is probably the standard format that jumps to most people’s minds when they think of this genre.Īt first glance, it might seem like a straightforward recount of your past. Click to tweet! The autobiographical memoir
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