This Is How You Write a Memoir

There has lately been a rising backlash against the ubiquity of personal writing. Hamilton Nolan’s anti-confessional diatribe in Gawker claims that journalism students are now taught only to write about themselves, which I can say as a full-time faculty member at a journalism school is patently absurd, but he raised some interesting points about the dubious rise of confessional writing over the last two decades and the market pressure, especially on younger writers, to make a splash, or at least publish something somewhere, by turning to their own, possibly limited, life experience. And then, of course, there were recent critiques of Elizabeth Wurtzel babbling incoherently about her pure heart in New York Magazine. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #younger writers #life experience #york magazine

Other Publishing stories related to: 'This Is How You Write a Memoir'


HC wins Townshend memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 17/05/2011 - 15:55 HarperCollins has won the contest for The Who guitarist Pete Townshend's memoirs, with final bids understood to have been received by the agent Ed Victor yesterday. Harper non-fiction publisher Carole Tonkinson bought... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperPress memoir brought forward after bin Laden death

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 12/05/2011 - 09:04 HarperPress is bringing forward publication of Sherard Cowper-Coles' memoir about his time as British Afghan envoy because of the revived interest in the region following the death of Osama bin Laden. The book, Cables from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reprint ordered for Ballesteros memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 10/05/2011 - 08:57 Yellow Jersey Press has ordered a 5,000-copy reprint of Seve: The Official Autobiography by Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros, who died over the weekend. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S acquires Scholes memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 05/05/2011 - 15:39 Simon & Schuster has bought a memoir by multi-Premier League and Champions League-winning footballer Paul Scholes. Kerr MacRae, S&S executive director, acquired world rights from Harry Swales, who is representing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber signs Ken Livingstone memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 28/04/2011 - 08:20 Faber has signed up the memoirs of the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, for a rumoured £90,000, according to an article in the Evening Standard. The newspaper reports that the autobiograpy is to be published in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Helen Dunmore to write for Hammer

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 21/04/2011 - 10:29 Random House imprint Hammer has acquired the latest title by Orange-prize winner Helen Dunmore, in a special project for the Penguin author. Century and Arrow publisher Kate Elton bought UK and Commonwealth rights to The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spielberg to write for Palazzo retrospective

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 20/04/2011 - 15:13 Palazzo Editions will publish a "major" retrospective of the work of Steven Spielberg in August 2012, written in co-operation with the director. Steven Spielberg: A Retrospective will be written by film critic and documentary... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: Mortenson Concedes He Conflated Parts of Memoir

The author addressed the "60 Minutes" allegations in an interview with Outside magazine. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hay House buys Beacham's memoir

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 14/04/2011 - 15:56 Hay House is to publish the "extraordinarily candid but heart-warming" autobiography of actor Stephanie Beacham, best known for her role as Sable Colby in the 1980s TV soap Dynasty. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC acquires Steven Tyler memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 12/04/2011 - 14:28 HarperCollins has bought world rights to the memoir of Aerosmith frontman and "American Idol" judge Steven Tyler. HarperCollins publisher Belinda Budge bought world rights in conjunction with Harper US from Queen Literary... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion signs Colin Montgomerie memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 11/04/2011 - 17:26 Orion has signed a memoir by golfer and Ryder Cup-winning captain Colin Montgomerie for publication this autumn. Publisher Alan Samson bought world rights to Monty from Guy Kinnings and Sarah Wooldridge at IMG. The book will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld buys Ben Fogle memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 06/04/2011 - 07:54 Transworld has acquired two titles from TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle, with the first to give an account of his "compulsive pursuit of adventure". Publishing director, sport and entertainment, Doug Young bought UK... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Biteback acquires Peter Hain memoir

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 04/04/2011 - 15:00 Biteback has bought the memoir of former Northern Ireland secretary of state and anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain. Managing director Iain Dale bought UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Guam and South Africa) from... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tonto buys Inspiral Carpets memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 01/04/2011 - 10:33 Tonto Books has bought rights to the frank memoir of former Inspiral Carpets frontman Tom Hingley. Tonto publisher Stu Wheatman bought world rights direct from Hingley to the aptly-titled Carpet Burns. The title will be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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MoM acquires "Coach Trip" memoir

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebury buys Sue Johnston memoir

Publication Date: Fri, 25/03/2011 - 12:00 Ebury Press is to publish the memoir of "The Royle Family" and "Brookside" actress Sue Johnston. Editorial director Charlotte Cole acquired world rights to Things I Couldn't Tell My Mother from Jan Thornton at Ken McReddie. The title will be published... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Forbes wins £50k Warwick Prize for Writing

Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 07:50 Writer, journalist and editor Peter Forbes' exploration of mimicry and camouflage in nature, art and warfare has been awarded the £50,000 Warwick Prize for Writing. His Dazzled and Deceived (Yale University Press) was described by chair of judges... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Luke Johnson to write business advice for Portfolio

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 17/03/2011 - 15:57 Luke Johnson, best known in the book trade for his spell owning Borders, and fellow Financial Times journalist Mrs Moneypenny are writing business titles for Penguin's business imprint Portfolio. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld to publish Shaun Ryder memoir

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 08/03/2011 - 13:45 Transworld is to publish the autobiography of Happy Mondays star Shaun Ryder. Editorial director Sarah Emsley acquired UK and Commonwealth rights through Matthew Hamilton at Aitken Alexander Associates. Emsley said:... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anjelica Huston memoir to Simon & Schuster

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 02/03/2011 - 07:54 Simon & Schuster UK will publish the memoir of Prizzi's Honour actress Anjelica Huston next year after buying her autobiography. S&S UK bought UK and Commonwealth rights including Australia from Cathryn Summerhayes in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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