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'


Harper Lee's 'Go Set a Watchman': Don't write Atticus Finch off as a racist just yet [Video]

Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman" won't be released to the public until Tuesday, but readers already know that the book reveals a darker side to Atticus Finch. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harper lee #book reveals #darker side #atticus finch


Dan Carter’s memoirs to Headline

Headline has acquired the memoirs of “global rugby legend” Dan Carter. Carter is a New Zeland player, and is the most capped All Blacks' fly-half of all time. His autobiography will be released after the All Blacks’ last game at this year’s Rugby World Cup, which takes place in England and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #takes place


Learn from Nicholas Sparks: how to write a tear-jerker

Nicholas Sparks is more than just a bestselling author of sappy romantic fiction; he's a pop culture phenomenon. A former pharmaceutical salesman from Omaha, Nebraska, Sparks has sold a reported 97 million books worldwide, and the films based on them have, so far, have grossed a total not far... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nicholas sparks #bestselling author #films based


iBooks Bestsellers: Playboy Memoir Hits #2

'Down the Rabbit Hole,' Holly Madison’s account of her time at the Playboy mansion as Hugh Hefner’s “#1 girlfriend,” came in at #2 on Apple’s bestseller list for the week ended June 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ibooks bestsellers #rabbit hole #hugh hefner #bestseller list


When Reporters Write Books, Does The Times Win, Too?

WRITING books must be in the DNA of Times journalists. Even the paper’s founding editor, Henry J. Raymond, cranked them out, including his “History of the Administration of President Lincoln” in 1864. The next year, he r ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #writing books #founding editor


Children's authors say curriculum hurts creative writing

A group of children’s authors, including this year’s Carnegie winner Tanya Landman, is preparing a letter to the education secretary protesting against the way writing is taught in schools. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sean Smith to write on Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian West is to be the subject of the next of Sean Smith's celebrity biographies, contracted to Harper NonFiction last year in a deal with agent Gordon Wise. Kim will be published in hardback on 24th September (£14.99) and is described as "the ultimate insight into the reality behind... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sean smith #kim kardashian #celebrity biographies #harper nonfiction #modern culture


Iran memoir is reading group choice

The Temporary Bride by Jennifer Klinec (Virago) has been voted reading groups’ favourite read by a debut author following a poll to celebrate National Reading Group Day. The Reading Agency and The Booksellers Association revealed on Saturday (20th June), National Reading Group Day, that Klinec... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut author #reading agency


'Blackout': A deep, dark-humored drinking memoir

These are perilous times for a writer to tackle the subject of women's drinking, entwined as it's become with the tripwire topics of rape and sexual consent. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sexual consent


Ebury signs memoir of rugby star Cohen

Ebury has acquired the autobiography of rugby player Ben Cohen, to be published ahead of this year’s Rugby World Cup. Cohen is the second-highest try scorer in England rugby history and was part of the 2003 World Cup-winning team in Sydney. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #published ahead


Hodder finalising deal for McKellen memoir

Hodder is finalising a deal for actor Sir Ian McKellen’s memoirs, the publisher and McKellen’s agent have confirmed to The Bookseller. The deal is expected to be completed in “another couple of weeks”, McKellen’s agent Paul Stevens of Independent Talent said, with Rowena Webb, director of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent talent


Former publicist of Jonathan Ross and HIGNFY to publish memoir

Julie Pickford has written a diary novel, but it will focus on her life in 1976, rather than her time working with ex-BBC chat-show hostFirst it was Kay Burley, then former TV producer and Channel 4 and Sky exec Jacquie Lawrence publishing a novel, now Monkey hears another telly type has taken... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hat trick #teenage years #climate change


What 50 Years of Writing Have Taught Me

Anne Roiphe, a major voice in feminist lit, reflects on her 50-year writing career as her 10th novel is published. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Pan Mac signs swimming memoir

Pan Macmillan has acquired a memoir by endurance swimmer Diana Nyad. In the 1970s, Nyad set a number of world records in endurance swimming, such as circling Manhattan Island and crossing the 102.5m between the Bahamas and Florida. But one record continually eluded her: becoming the first... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pan macmillan #world records #failed attempts #finally succeeded


BEA 2015: Writing About Tough Topics for Teens

YA authors Aaron Hartzler, Ellen Hopkins, Patrick Ness, Lynn Weingarten, and Cammie McGovern came together on May 29 at BEA for a panel discussion titled Talking to Teens About Tough Topics, moderated by Margot Wood of Epic Reads. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tough topics #ellen hopkins #patrick ness


Poet's memoir to Melville House

Melville House UK has acquired the “genre-bending” memoir of American poet, critic and non-fiction author, Maggie Nelson. Managing director Zeljka Marosevic bought rights for the UK and Commonwealth, excluding Canada, from Katie Dublinski at Graywolf Press. This will be the first time Nelson’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #american poet #maggie nelson #melville house #katie dublinski #graywolf press #british publisher #love story


Windham-Campbell Prizes, Yale to Launch 'Why I Write' Series

Yale University Press will publish the Windham-Campbell Prizes's annual keynote addresses in a new series titled "Why I Write.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Blink signs Amy Childs memoir

Blink Publishing has singed a book by TV star Amy Childs, who first appeared on ITV2’s “The Only Way is Essex”. The book will recount Childs’ rise to fame and her business career. Blink’s acquisitions director Clare Tillyer bought world rights to the book from The Can Group. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #blink publishing


Ebury signs Del Boy 'memoir'

Ebury Publishing will publish the "autobiography" of “Only Fools and Horses” character Derek ‘Del Boy’ Trotter, titled He Who Dares. Kelly Ellis, senior commissioning editor, acquired world rights in all languages from the John Sullivan estate. The comedy character, a South London... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebury publishing


BookCon 2015: Talking Truth, Love, Diversity, and Writing at ‘Reality Bites’ Panel

On a Saturday BookCon panel, Ellen Hopkins, Patrick Ness, Lauren Oliver, and Jason Reynolds discussed the relationships, characters, themes, and settings of their latest YA novels. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ellen hopkins #patrick ness #lauren oliver