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'


Byliner, an Online Publisher of Long-Form Writing, Seeks Partners

Byliner, a company that publishes long, literary journalism and fiction online and as ebooks, told its contributors Tuesday that it has been struggling and is seeking partners to ensure its future. The company started in 2011 with some fanfare. It ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company started #online publisher #long-form writing #literary journalism


Hillary Clinton's memoir excerpt: What can we learn from it? (+video)

A second preview of Clinton's book 'Hard Choices' was recently released and the excerpt details her 'partnership and friendship' with President Obama and her wish to 'revisit certain choices.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hillary clinton #hard choices #recently released #president obama


Biteback signs MacShane prison memoir

Biteback has acquired world rights in a book of prison diaries from former Labour MP Denis... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Penguin Buys J. Lo Memoir

Penguin's Celebra imprint has taken world rights to the first book by multi-hyphenate star, Jennifer Lopez. "True Love," will be released simultaneously in English and Spanish on October 28. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin buys #world rights #true love


HC to host digital festival for romance writing

HarperCollins is hosting a virtual romance festival, with contributions from fellow publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #romance writing


5 Writing Tips: Max Brooks

The author of "World War Z" and "The Harlem Hellfighters" says it's okay to have over 200 drafts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #max brooks #world war #harlem hellfighters


Blink signs memoir from Apprentice star

Blink Publishing has acquired the “revealing” autobiography of Luisa Zissman, a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apprentice star #blink publishing #revealing autobiography


Barnard Awards Inaugural Creative Writing Prize

Barnard College named Carmen Ren as the first ever recipient of its Axinn Foundation/Anna Quindlen Award for Creative Writing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative writing


L, B to publish 'visual memoir'

Little, Brown is to publish an “exceptionally beautiful and inspiring visual memoir”... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


5 Writing Tips: Dinaw Mengestu

"Be generous to your characters: kill them, save them, break their hearts and then heal them." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dinaw mengestu


A Road Not Traveled Alone: Memoirs of Faith through Injury and Illness

Many people rely on faith to get through serious illness or injury, their own or that of someone they love. Books on the topic—most of them memoirs—are perennial in the religion category. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #religion category


Comedian David Mitchell to write for Guardian Faber

Guardian Faber has acquired a new book by actor and comedian David Mitchell. Commissioning... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #guardian faber


Faith and Writing Fest Marks Spring in Winter-Worn Grand Rapids

The biennial Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., featured high-profile authors and drew 2,000 attendees eager to explore the connections between faith and creative expression. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #grand rapids #creative expression


Mandela assistant's memoir to Allen Lane

Penguin Press imprint Allen Lane is to publish Good Morning, Mr Mandela, a memoir by the late... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #allen lane


Headline to publish Flea memoir

Headline is to publish the memoir of Flea, the bassist and a founding member of the Grammy Award-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #founding member


Tohti to Receive PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award

Imprisoned Chinese economist and writer Ilham Tohti, who was arrested in his Beijing home in January, is being honored with the 2014 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


WWII memoir to Clerkenwell Press

The Clerkenwell Press has acquired world English rights in Gone to Ground, a true story of a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #true story


Medium's new iPhone app helps you read (but not write) long articles

We can't say we know all that many people who routinely digest articles posted through Medium's social publishing platform. However, the readership is bound to go up now that the service has released an iPhone app. The mobile client is more of a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #iphone app


Writing a First Novel: Reflections on the Journey – review

Karen Stevens's collection of essays offers practical advice and inspiration for those embarking on the long, lonely journey of writing a novelAccording to Karen Stevens, "writing a novel is the longest and loneliest journey a writer can embark upon". Her collection of essays by established and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How I write about Chromebook

Over the weekend, I got email from developer Jeff Nelson referencing his blog response to my BetaNews story: "Chromebook belongs to computing's past, not its future". He is among a majority of responders who disagree with my assessments about the future of PCs depending on keyboard and mouse.... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #star trek #user interface