Book Reviews John K. Cox Jurij Koch / Courtesy of Domowina-Verlag In the 1950s, a girl whom Jurij Koch knew in high school moved away from their hometown of Cottbus in East Germany. It was a case, he says in his recent memoir, of “Weg von Ulbricht, hin zu Adenauer” (Away from Ulbricht, over to Adenauer). Her mother took the girl to the West, before the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961. This is a familiar enough arc of events, but, as it turns out, the motivation behind the move is probably not something that most people outside of Germany would have considered. The reason was ethnic. Little Greta was growing up surrounded by Sorbs in the southeastern part of the country. The Sorbian language reminded her mother of Polish, and she had had quite enough of the Poles in her pre-1945 home farther east. In addition, Greta’s family was Protestant and they felt awash in a “Catholic sea.” So off they went, leaving the author of this autobiography—who, well, yes, had a crush on Greta—scratching his head. Like so many other scenes in this engaging book, this story blends the customary with the unexpected to stretch our understanding of what is “German.” Like so many other scenes in this engaging book, Koch’s memoir blends the customary with the unexpected to stretch our understanding of what is “German.” Windrad auf dem Dach (Domowina-Verlag, 2016) is the second volume of Koch’s memoirs to be published in German. Currently in his... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2020-01-27 20:47:13 UTC ]
This week's featured new releases include a new graphic novel from Alison Bechdel, a memoir on grief, an exploration of American patriarchy, a medieval fever dream, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Memoir Nation: Weekly Inspiration for Writers is an extension of the Memoir Nation community hosted by Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner, two friends and colleagues who bring a community-minded sensibility to the writing journey. Originally launched as Write-minded in 2018, this is a weekly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-19 08:10:54 UTC ]
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Beyond disclosures about his sexuality and marriage, the media mogul’s memoir mostly serves up goodies for fans of Hollywood name-dropping and infighting. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2025-05-16 09:00:51 UTC ]
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In her latest book, part memoir and part biography, Returning to My Father’s Kitchen, Monica Macansantos writes fifteen richly textured essays about her father’s legacy both in her writings and in the kitchen where she finds his continued presence as she recreates his recipes that he’s developed... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2025-05-15 11:00:00 UTC ]
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In her searing and revolutionary memoir First in the Family: A Story of Survival, Recovery, and the American Dream, writer and mental health advocate Jessica Hoppe discusses and inspects addiction and how ingrained the culture is within BIPOC communities, notably within the Latine community. In... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2025-05-13 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Tracy Slater examines the parallels between Trump’s anti-trans policies and the persecution of Japanese Americans during World War II. | Lit Hub History Sonya Bilocerkowycz on the impact of generational trauma in the midst of Russia’s imperialist onslaught against Ukraine. | Lit Hub Memoir David... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-12 10:30:51 UTC ]
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Acclaimed author Jill Bialosky examines the messy house of memoir, including how important the structure is to the story memoirists tell. The post The Messy House of Memoir appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-09 16:26:53 UTC ]
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William Morrow picks up a collaboration between James Patterson and YouTuber MrBeast, Michael J. Fox sells a memoir to Flatiron, Abrams will adapt Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Megalopolis’ as a graphic novel, and more in this week’s book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2025-05-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Michele Filgate on navigating loss alongside her father: “Is this my family’s thing? The need to pin memories down, preserve them in a drawer, put a frame around them?” | Lit Hub Memoir “Rivers are the veins of our mother, the earth; they are the visual mapping of a watery network.” Leanne... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-08 10:30:40 UTC ]
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In a memoir that tries to wrest control of her story, Ms. Baldwin says she was “canceled” via online sleuths who looked for inconsistencies in her Spanish accent. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2025-05-07 20:25:13 UTC ]
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This memoir tells an incendiary story that shocked a reader who already thought the worst of the company and people it blows the whistle on. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-07 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Keith McNally’s new memoir is full of revelations, but one stands out: His work is an underrated art form. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2025-05-06 15:25:00 UTC ]
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“More than that, political art that seeks only to speak to this moment tends to flatten narrative in its attempt to be relevant.” Kevin Nguyen doesn’t think we need timely novels. | Lit Hub Craft Jiordan Castle remembers navigating a complex and tumultuous relationship with her father. | Lit Hub... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2025-05-06 10:30:11 UTC ]
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If you're looking for something unusual and beautiful, thought-provoking and funny, tender and smart, this unconventional memoir is for you. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2025-05-05 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Natasha Williams shares three tips for exploring the art of imagination and using that to find voice in memoir. The post The Art of Imagination and Finding Voice in Memoir appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest
[ Writer's Digest | 2025-05-01 19:09:09 UTC ]
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In her memoir 'Uptown Girl,' Christie Brinkley writes about the scary incident that led her to divorce Billy Joel. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2025-04-29 10:00:58 UTC ]
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In the unsentimental memoir “The Golden Hour,” Matthew Specktor ponders, among others, the father who succeeded in a punishing business now in its waning glory. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2025-04-27 09:01:23 UTC ]
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