Why do people write memoirs?
What power is there in telling our own stories?
Why do people write memoirs? Bragging rights perhaps, an outlet to your creativity, a life-long dream, maybe just because you think the world needs to know. Memoirs are written for a variety of reasons, some valid, and some are definately not. Memoirs tell a story completely original, no one else could ever have experienced what you did, or just never a book about it. Memoirs are refreshing, hearing real stories from real people gives us insight to the real world outside of our very limited American boundaries of culture.
There is imense power in writing a memoir. For yourself and a power instilled in the reader is also visible. Writing a memoir for youself can be a freeing experiance. It is where you can reveal the secrets of your passions, sufferings and events from your life that you regret or are proud of. Having a book out there that reveals everything about you on the shelves of bookstores, however, can be daunting. For the reader, reading about someone else who may have similar experiances to yours can be aggravating, funny, or bring tears to your eyes. Having such power of a person in the form of a memoir is very invigorating and ultimately powerful. It takes a courageous person to write a memoir.
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6 comments:
I agree that when you write a memior it can be a very freeing experience and that it takes a lot of courage. The power of a memior is very great when we share it with others because we are sharing a part of who we are.
I enjoyed reading this post Lauren. I found it interesting that at the beginning you shared different views on why people write memoirs. Bragging rights never occurred to me, but that's true. I really agree when you say it takes a courageous person to write a memoir, because I think that when we write a memoir, we are sharing a deeply personal moment with complete strangers- and that takes courage. -A
I liked how you stated that while reading a memoir about real people and events, we gain insight on our own lives. I completley agree with your philosophical point of view.
However, I didn't quite agree when you said some memoirs are valid while others are not. How do you know which memoirs are valid or not? I am able to criticize you due to the fact that I care so much about you! Nice ideas,
~ Lace
I really enojyed this post. Memoirs are completely original, and even if a person has had similar experiences to you, their reactions and voice must be completely different. I really liked your thoughts on the emotions the writer of a memoir experiences. I had never thought of that. Great post!
I agree with you on most points. However, I think that there is no truly invalid reason for writing a memoir. If the auther believes for whatever reason that he or she should write a memoir, it is good for he/she to do so, regardless of the reason.
I like how you ended your message with an opinion that "courageous people write memoirs". I also enjoyed your thought that writing about yourself can be daunting, if not embarrassing. Good job.
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