Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Of memoirs and meaning. (Or, not)

I'm sort of living deep inside a client's manuscript this week, editing and thinking very carefully about it, so I knew blogging time would be scant. I was, however, planning to write something here today about the value of a truly nuanced literary memoir, one which delves deep into the writer's life, told from the long-lens perspective of someone who has looked back with real curiosity, who has processed the meaning and metaphors of the important themes of his or her life and experiences.

But then I read about this book deal, and decided, nah, I got nothing. Know what I really hate about publishing "news" like this?  They even use the old term "memoirs" with an s. Sigh.

5 comments:

Leightongirl said...

Sigh.

Anonymous said...

For a 16 year old it should definitely be memoir (singular) and not memoirs (plural). Or maybe there's a better word for it altogether. But I don't know what it is.

margosita said...

I really wish I were the ghost writer behind that book. Just think of the lair full of gold that book is gonna bank!

Andrea said...

That's hilarious (and I really must live with my head in the sand, because I've never heard of the sensation...maybe I need to read his memoirs and catch up?)

mollie bryan said...

Count yourself lucky, Andrea.