Why am I helping people write their memoirs?
As someone who actively blogged for nine years, you’d think this post would be easy to write. In fact, it took me a surprising amount of time to concisely articulate my WHY. Here goes!
First and foremost, the pandemic. Since March 2020, far too many lives have been cut short. And with them went their meaningful stories.
Second, people have fascinating, sometimes random things to share. Did you know that fly fishing is a competitive sport?! Neither did I until an Uber driver filled me in on his weekend. Similarly and with a tremendous amount of dramatization, an acquaintance told me about the ensuing chaos when Hurricane Ida blew her above-ground pool off her Ford F-150 (that’s a truck) and into her double-wide (that’s a mobile home).
And finally, I want to help people connect. An old black and white photo of Memphis’ Beale St. hangs in our home’s entry way. It shows the Sam Salky & Co. storefront, a piece of our family history long since shuttered. Of all the art in our home, this large photograph receives the most attention. It’s often discussed and dissected, giving people a better understanding of our family’s southern roots. I’d like to offer you the same experience.
I started The Memoir Writer to help people share their stories - the seemingly mundane and also the messy bits - while they are still able.