What I Learned From Memoir

“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.