Monthly Archives: January 2022

“But memoir is neither testament nor fable nor analytic transcription.”

Posted on January 28, 2022 by Kate Stover

So, then, what is memoir? A memoir should “lift from the raw material of life a tale that will shape experience, transform event, deliver wisdom.”  In other words, the writer’s story needs to illustrate a point. Rather than simply telling … Continue reading →

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“Putting together a novel is essentially putting together the lives of stranger I’m coming to know.”

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Kate Stover

As it turns out, writing nonfiction stories is not very different from writing fiction for Ann Patchett.  The title essay for this collection describes how she puts together an understanding of the life of the stranger who comes to stay … Continue reading →

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“Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves…”

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Kate Stover

“Be curious” is the advice that I am hearing nearly every day. It’s coming from a wide range of sources:  Judson Brewer (in Unwinding Anxiety), Ollie Dreon (in his blog for college instructors), Kristin Neff (in Self-Compassion), and Ted Lasso … Continue reading →

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