Memoir Writing

Today was my first class in Memoir Writing for the fall semester of Senior University 2007. I have been teaching now for about 4 years along with a neighbor. We teach a beginning class and a continuing class each semester, switching duties each term. We have covered Techniques, Military, Good Ole Days, and others, but I have the beginning class this semester. I LOVE the beginners! There is such enthusiasm and they are always surprised they can accomplish so much in such a short time.

Memoir writing as a literary genre, forms a subclass of autobiography. It is a process of taking one small portion / memory / bite out of time, and writing in-depth about it. The result is a slice of life examined like a frozen moment in time. The video watch that Dick Tracy wore in early comic strips is close to present day reality. We gathered around the radio to listen to well-loved programs much as families gather around the TV now. We saw the advent of TV dinners, McDonald's, transatlantic jet travel, Interstate Highways, space shuttles, and a man walking on the moon. Even if we did not experience the Great Depression ourselves, our parents and grandparents did and it has had an effect on our lives. We have a responsibility to record our history, share our spiritual values, and let our loved ones know what we stand for and how we feel we have made a difference in this world.

I will be sprinkling some memoir writing in my blog. I hope you are writing too.