Wise words
from the forthcoming Rosy Cole's Memoir Explosion by Sheila Greenwald (Kroupa/FSG):
"Writing a memoir is not the assignment," Mrs. Oliphant reminded me. She opened the dictionary on her desk and turned to the page for memoir. "'A memoir is a narrative from personal experience and memory,'" she read. Then she closed the book. "A memoir is difficult to do. It can be tempting to exaggerate the truth for a better story. That can get you into trouble. It's risky."
"Writing a memoir is not the assignment," Mrs. Oliphant reminded me. She opened the dictionary on her desk and turned to the page for memoir. "'A memoir is a narrative from personal experience and memory,'" she read. Then she closed the book. "A memoir is difficult to do. It can be tempting to exaggerate the truth for a better story. That can get you into trouble. It's risky."
posted by Roger Sutton at 3:04 PM
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"Or it can get you on Oprah and make you a million dollars. Take your pick," continued Mrs. Oliphant thoughtfully. Suddenly all the little girls's pencils were scratching away like mad. And that, was that.
"And furthermore," said Mrs. Oliphant, "we're having some dead animals for dinner."
The classroom door burst open and the boys, who had been out hunting while we girls memoired, burst in laden with dead animals galore.
Last, Leon, especially laden. Rosy leapt from her chair. "Hast thou slain the Jabberwock?! At last something Oprah won't believe."
"Rosy, you're using archaic language again and it wasn't funny the first time," said mrs. Oliphant wearily. "And boys, take your shotguns outdoors; how many times do I have to tell you? They're registered? Well, all right then."
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