Here in Berlin, I've seen more celebrity memoir (musicians and famous people) than that of everyday people. Angela Merkel's memoir is everywhere right now! But it's definitely here. There's so much, though, in the literary scene that's very different. I explain Substack often. And what creative non-fiction means. The writers at my weekly Meet Up are poets, musicians, novelists, short story writers, playwrights. It's interesting!
I love hearing about your experience in Berlin, Elizabeth. I like the idea of mixing genres in a Writing Meet Up. I bet you can learn a lot from each other. In some ways separating things into genre can be limiting, and I think genre is really mostly for the benefit of the people marketing the books!
I do think the label of "creative nonfiction" can be confusing. It's a label that I learned to use in my MFA program and I think it's uncommon outside of academic circles. But to me it's the most accurate label and encompasses a really interesting and varied genre. It reminds me that writers often demonstrate that they are "in the club" by using particular jargon ... but sometimes I wonder if that serves anyone or if it's just a form of "gatekeeping."
When I was in England I think my Substack algorithm knew it and so I started seeing some British-based Substackers showing up on my Notes feed. But in general I do think Substack is more of an American phenomenon. As I said in another comment, I'd love for some British-based memoirists and Substackers to weight in on this comment section.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this!
making a mental note not to prioritize the UK when mine is released!
But in the end, you're so right –
"I’m reminded of why I write: not to belong to a certain group of people, not to write a certain kind of book or essay, but simply to express myself and connect." ❤️
Oh no! I didn't intend for it to be sobering, although I can understand why it came across that way. I don't know if I'd take this as gospel in the same way that a writer like Jane Friedman can break down sales trends in different parts of the world. I simply found it intriguing that reading habits seemed to differ so much in England.
Now that I am back home and peering into my local bookstores with more intention, I am noticing that a lot of memoirs are shelved under "biography" here, which I don't think is as accurate a label.
I'd love to hear more about your memoir, Kristin! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
You're absolutely right, Allison – there's a big difference between biography (which can be written by anyone) and memoir, which is generally written by the person whose life the book is about. Do you think we should explain that to them?! 😉
Thank you for asking about my own memoir, I appreciate that.
It's called "A Storyboard Life: The unexpected, nerve-racking & exhilarating adventures of a freelancer in the world of documentary film and television."
If you'd like to check it out, I'm experimenting with serializing it on Substack, pre-publication, to gather feedback and potential readers.
Interesting comparison! I have a stack of memoirs I’ve grabbed from the library that were on various end of year lists. I gravitate to them so much more than fiction these days and have for probably the last decade at least. I find so much about memoir to be more powerful than most fiction.
Yes, the older I get the more I gravitate toward memoir. I love fiction and it was what first captured my attention when I became a young reader, but I think my love of memoir has grown out of my longing to understand the world and myself. I've yet to read a memoir that I don't find redeeming or interesting in some way.
I'd love to have some British-based Substackers weigh in on this comparison! I'm curious for their points of view.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Susan.
I agree – I am also more interested in memoir these days and for the same reason. But also perhaps as a quieter and more insightful counterbalance to today's world of rampant social media.
I completely agree! Social media makes the world seem so much less complex than it actually is. The narratives lack nuance and everyone has their role and is playing it just right. Not only is memoir quieter and more insightful, it's also more authentic. And requires a longer attention span!
I think most fiction is closely entwined with events or people related to the fiction writer. Honestly, the hardest thing to do in writing, regardless of the genre, is to create a narrative that captures the reader’s interest. The source is secondary. Keep writing. I love your stories. L McG
You make a good point here, Liz. That's what I would have said to that young publishing exec at the pub, if I'd had my wits about me. Sometimes fiction is veiled autobiography, taken in part from the writers life. As writer Neil Gaiman says: “Fiction is the lie that tells the truth." And yes there is artistry in that, and it's art I enjoy and revere. It's a skill I don't have!
But I think writing memoir provides additional gifts, if we are brave enough to access them. There's such boldness and ownership in claiming the truth of your own life, for all to see.
Memoirists might not be creating a narrative (and building a world) from whole cloth -- instead the narrative already exists and the art is in learning how best to see and write it clearly in an engaging way that illuminates a larger truth and makes the personal universal. I love that challenge!
Allison, Your writing always lifts me up as it did today. Memoir may be an outgrowth of American narcissism, but it is a genre that I find fascinating. Keep on writing! A very Merry Christmas to you and yours, B. CAMERON
I so appreciate your support and your holiday wishes, Babbie! It's always wonderful to hear from you, and I especially appreciate your encouragement.
You've given me some food for thought as well. I do think America is more narcissistic as a nation than other countries, but I'm not sure that's the reason why more Americans write and read memoir. A successful memoirist, after all, must make the personal universal -- that is, he or she must find a larger truth to reflect through his/her own story, must use their own personal life to illuminate a larger truth about the world and what it means to be human. Learning to see outside oneself is part of the work.
I too find memoir fascinating, and I hope its influence continues to grow! Merry Christmas to you, and a Happy New Year!
Here in Berlin, I've seen more celebrity memoir (musicians and famous people) than that of everyday people. Angela Merkel's memoir is everywhere right now! But it's definitely here. There's so much, though, in the literary scene that's very different. I explain Substack often. And what creative non-fiction means. The writers at my weekly Meet Up are poets, musicians, novelists, short story writers, playwrights. It's interesting!
I love hearing about your experience in Berlin, Elizabeth. I like the idea of mixing genres in a Writing Meet Up. I bet you can learn a lot from each other. In some ways separating things into genre can be limiting, and I think genre is really mostly for the benefit of the people marketing the books!
I do think the label of "creative nonfiction" can be confusing. It's a label that I learned to use in my MFA program and I think it's uncommon outside of academic circles. But to me it's the most accurate label and encompasses a really interesting and varied genre. It reminds me that writers often demonstrate that they are "in the club" by using particular jargon ... but sometimes I wonder if that serves anyone or if it's just a form of "gatekeeping."
When I was in England I think my Substack algorithm knew it and so I started seeing some British-based Substackers showing up on my Notes feed. But in general I do think Substack is more of an American phenomenon. As I said in another comment, I'd love for some British-based memoirists and Substackers to weight in on this comment section.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this!
Well, this is a sobering read -
making a mental note not to prioritize the UK when mine is released!
But in the end, you're so right –
"I’m reminded of why I write: not to belong to a certain group of people, not to write a certain kind of book or essay, but simply to express myself and connect." ❤️
Oh no! I didn't intend for it to be sobering, although I can understand why it came across that way. I don't know if I'd take this as gospel in the same way that a writer like Jane Friedman can break down sales trends in different parts of the world. I simply found it intriguing that reading habits seemed to differ so much in England.
Now that I am back home and peering into my local bookstores with more intention, I am noticing that a lot of memoirs are shelved under "biography" here, which I don't think is as accurate a label.
I'd love to hear more about your memoir, Kristin! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
You're absolutely right, Allison – there's a big difference between biography (which can be written by anyone) and memoir, which is generally written by the person whose life the book is about. Do you think we should explain that to them?! 😉
Thank you for asking about my own memoir, I appreciate that.
It's called "A Storyboard Life: The unexpected, nerve-racking & exhilarating adventures of a freelancer in the world of documentary film and television."
If you'd like to check it out, I'm experimenting with serializing it on Substack, pre-publication, to gather feedback and potential readers.
It begins here: https://kristinfellows.substack.com/p/the-woman-on-the-park-bench
I'd love to hear your thoughts, and perhaps which shelf it might go on in British bookstores! ☺️
Exciting! I'll check it out!
Interesting comparison! I have a stack of memoirs I’ve grabbed from the library that were on various end of year lists. I gravitate to them so much more than fiction these days and have for probably the last decade at least. I find so much about memoir to be more powerful than most fiction.
Yes, the older I get the more I gravitate toward memoir. I love fiction and it was what first captured my attention when I became a young reader, but I think my love of memoir has grown out of my longing to understand the world and myself. I've yet to read a memoir that I don't find redeeming or interesting in some way.
I'd love to have some British-based Substackers weigh in on this comparison! I'm curious for their points of view.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment, Susan.
I agree – I am also more interested in memoir these days and for the same reason. But also perhaps as a quieter and more insightful counterbalance to today's world of rampant social media.
I completely agree! Social media makes the world seem so much less complex than it actually is. The narratives lack nuance and everyone has their role and is playing it just right. Not only is memoir quieter and more insightful, it's also more authentic. And requires a longer attention span!
I think most fiction is closely entwined with events or people related to the fiction writer. Honestly, the hardest thing to do in writing, regardless of the genre, is to create a narrative that captures the reader’s interest. The source is secondary. Keep writing. I love your stories. L McG
You make a good point here, Liz. That's what I would have said to that young publishing exec at the pub, if I'd had my wits about me. Sometimes fiction is veiled autobiography, taken in part from the writers life. As writer Neil Gaiman says: “Fiction is the lie that tells the truth." And yes there is artistry in that, and it's art I enjoy and revere. It's a skill I don't have!
But I think writing memoir provides additional gifts, if we are brave enough to access them. There's such boldness and ownership in claiming the truth of your own life, for all to see.
Memoirists might not be creating a narrative (and building a world) from whole cloth -- instead the narrative already exists and the art is in learning how best to see and write it clearly in an engaging way that illuminates a larger truth and makes the personal universal. I love that challenge!
Allison, Your writing always lifts me up as it did today. Memoir may be an outgrowth of American narcissism, but it is a genre that I find fascinating. Keep on writing! A very Merry Christmas to you and yours, B. CAMERON
I so appreciate your support and your holiday wishes, Babbie! It's always wonderful to hear from you, and I especially appreciate your encouragement.
You've given me some food for thought as well. I do think America is more narcissistic as a nation than other countries, but I'm not sure that's the reason why more Americans write and read memoir. A successful memoirist, after all, must make the personal universal -- that is, he or she must find a larger truth to reflect through his/her own story, must use their own personal life to illuminate a larger truth about the world and what it means to be human. Learning to see outside oneself is part of the work.
I too find memoir fascinating, and I hope its influence continues to grow! Merry Christmas to you, and a Happy New Year!