“The more memoirs I read, the more lessons I learn, first about the literary form, second about other people, and third about myself. These benefits intertwine to form one of the best systems of self-development I know.” - Jerry Waxler, founder of Memory Writer’s Network
Playwright Gore Vidal, in his own memoir Palimpsest, writes “a memoir is how one remembers one’s own life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, facts double-checked.” It (memoir) is more about what can be gleaned from a section of one’s life than about the outcome of the life as a whole.”
A memoir is a form of
writing that allows the reader to harmonize and connect with the author over paralleled
situations, or with a story that can be applied to the life of the reader. A
good memoir allows the reader to be fully submerged in the author’s account of
his or her journey, and it often makes for a good inspirational article. The
memoir that I chose to research for my project turned out to be just that. In They Poured Fire On Us From the Sky by
Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng, Benjamin Ajak, and Judy Bernstein, the story follows
three Lost Boys as they make the perilous journey across their own war torn
country and eventually to the United States after losing their parents to the chaos.
The memoir had everything it needed to make it a great fast-paced read: a
gripping narrative, inspiration, and a strong message that readers could benefit
from. This video, "What is a Memoir?", gives a good basis to what a memoir is
really all about.
Looking at the first quote
made by Jerry Waxler, I think that his statement is a beautiful way to sum up
the effects of memoir. I believe that the point of memoir is to teach the
reader something by sharing an experience or an obstacle overcome by the
author. The reader is able to take something away from reading the memoir, and
can turn it into a tool to apply to their own life. Self-development is what
memoirs aim to support. Waxler argues that memoirs teach lessons about the
literary form, human nature and the author, and most importantly about the
readers themselves. All of these teachings from the memoir are then intertwined
together to endorse self-development. I can see that this is evident in the
memoir that I read, because after reading it I have a new appreciation for
different cultures and for the state of privilege I live in. I learned
something important about others, about myself, and about memoir.
The second quote, made by Gore Vidal, argues that
memoir reflects on only one certain period in the author’s life, and it differs
from an autobiography because it is not all facts and history. I like this comparison image because it helps prove Vidal’s theory, and shows how respected his
opinion is in the literary world. Like Waxler, he states that memoir is
something that can be learned from. Personally I agree with this notion, even
if it is a little more straight forward than Waxler’s view. Memoir is not about
how the author turned out as a person in the long run. It is about a single journey
or victory that had such a great impact on the author that they wrote an
account of it in an attempt to help others better themselves. It does not
matter who or when or where or even how big the victory was. To the author, the
event was significant. From the reader’s standpoint, it does not matter if the
victory or achievement brought about seems small, because the account can be
applied to something in the life of the reader and then made big. Memoirs are
always written with the intent of explaining a difficult situation, and how to
overcome it. Memoirs are not an instruction booklet on how to succeed in life,
but to inspire people to realize their dreams.
A lot can be learned from
reading memoir, and a lot can be discovered about yourself by writing a
personal narrative. By reading They
Poured Fire On Us From the Sky, I found a better appreciation for what I
have within myself. I have become more thankful after realizing that I have
very little to complain about when I compare my struggles to that of the Lost
Boys. I am grateful for my family, where I live, and who I am responsible for
taking care of because after reflecting on the horrid situations the Lost Boys
were forced to face, I see that my life isn’t really that bad. As far as
learning about myself from writing a personal narrative, I found that I should
be more proud of some of the achievements I have earned. To others my attained
goals may not seem like a lot, but to me they are hard earned and I should have
a feeling of fulfillment. This website lists five lessons learned from writing a memoir by Brian Klems. It shows just how much of an impact writing a memoir or personal narrative can have on the writer.
Overall, the impact that
reading memoir and writing a personal narrative has had on me is profound. I
now have a completely new respect for the literary form of memoir, and I have a
new outlook on goals in my own life. I now see that memoirs are examples, and
all I have to do is read them and apply them to my own life and realize some of
my goals. I never knew the difference between an autobiography and memoir until
we began this unit. Now, as I reflect on all I have learned, I am very appreciative
for my new knowledge.
