The Making of a Memoir

In English class, we recently began reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, a memoir by Azar Nafisi. Memoir is a genre that I'm largely unfamiliar with, so I was intrigued by the concept and started wondering to myself, what makes a good memoir? It's indisputable that everyone's lives feature ups and downs, highs and lows, and when you look close enough, you'll find that just about everybody's life is a struggle in one way or another. But yet, not everyone publishes a narrative of their own life, nor should they. I decided to do some research to try to nail down the distinction, to decipher the recipe for a worthwhile memoir.

I came across a blog entitled The Writer's Edge which includes an article focused on that very subject. The blog post, "What Makes a Good Memoir?", essentially argues that, to qualify as a good memoir, a story must include circumstances beyond the ordinary. According to the article, if the events of the memoir are too relatable, the reader loses interest.

The blog post also claims that a clear time frame is a crucial element of a good memoir. The memoir is not exempt from the importance of a structure involving a beginning, middle, and end. Additionally, complex characters with emotional depth are a must-have. I'd argue that this is true of any story, but the author considered it worth noting. The article also addresses the intricacies of a memoir's plot. It offers the classic love story as a recipe for success and also suggests "situations with high stakes consequences".

In the case of Reading Lolita in Tehran, it's too soon to tell whether the book incorporates all these ingredients, though it already has featured moments of both romance and suspense. Considering the book's popularity and critical acclaim, I'm sure it serves as a model of a meaningful memoir.

"What Makes a Good Memoir?" closes with the idea that the writing of memoir is almost always a rewarding experience, but not all memoirs should be published. Key ingredients to a successful memoir include a conventional narrative structure, intriguing characters, an element of risk, and the ever-popular love story. Time will tell if Reading Lolita in Tehran fits the bill.

Poetry and Pictures

I've decided to take the time to share with you all one of my favorite blogs I've stumbled across. I Wrote This For You is far from a traditional blog. Rather than featuring entries with a few paragraphs each, most individual posts are nothing more than a photograph and a few short, poetic lines. But something about the pairing of poetry and pictures is so incredibly powerful, so astonishingly poignant, that I'm often left more affected after having visited this blog than after reading a 500-word post jammed with links and impressive vocabulary.

The thing about I Wrote This For You is that the words are raw and relatable. Nothing seems edited; it's as if you're given a glimpse into an exceptionally inquisitive mind, and yet, a mind that could belong to almost anyone. Despite the organic style and delightful simplicity that the blogger employs, every post is sufficiently polished. It's a fine line that the blogger walks, but he succeeds.

The best example I found is an entry entitled "The Next Stop". I'd recommend clicking that link so that you can see the photograph that corresponds with the words, but the writing is the following:

Only because it's still so raw and real. Soon I'll just be a series of images that sometimes flash through your mind, when you least expect it. And after that, only a few will stay. Then, one. A memory of a memory.

Reading those lines gives me chills every time. I'm forever in awe of the writer's ability to capture such abstract concepts as time, memory, and loss, and in just a few sentences, at that. The final line, "A memory of a memory" resonated with me most. Can we remember the memory of something, even if we've forgotten the memory itself? The words were thought-provoking, to say the least.

And it isn't just the language that speaks to the audience. The black and white photograph of a train speeding by adds so much to the words. For me, the image conjures that "here for a moment, then gone" feeling that I think all humans encounter on a daily basis. The train is blurred, representing constant motion, how powerless we are to the incessantness of time. How we can't count on keeping anything.

I could go on and on about the brilliance of the blog, but that doesn't seem fitting, as the whole essence of the blog is its beautiful brevity. Please check it out. No matter what you're feeling at the moment, I Wrote This For You will make you feel more connected, more human. I promise.