The Glass Castle

I’ve been doing a lot of research for the memoir I’m working on.  I like calling it “research” because it makes me feel more official.  

I went to Amazon & looked all of the New York Times Best-Selling Memoirs for the last 10 years.  Then, I went to each book and read the majority of the views.  I know what I like in memoirs but I want to get in the heads of other readers.  One thing I noticed over & over & over again is that people seem to love when a memoir writer has a knack for “showing no self-pity.”  Huh.  Interesting indeed.  Especially given that most popular memoirs are about folks who have had the crazy, dysfunctional life who rose to somehow survive it.  Why shouldn’t they feel bad, right?  Wrong.

Now, this bit of “research” presents a bit of a problem for me.  You see, I can ooze self pity in a text message –so I can for doggone sure spill it out all over the pages of my memoir.  I’m not even sure I know how to write about a traumatic experience without the necessary implications.  I.E.  I felt, cold, miserable, awful, etc.  Uh-oh.

Another part of my research includes trekking up to the library every weekend and checking out as many of said memoirs as I can.  I’m trying to learn from other’s writing styles.  I have no formal training in writing and my 8 week online writing course will not give me what others have gotten through a 4-yr. writing degree.  The last book I got, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, seems to be one of the most loved and celebrated memoirs of the last 5-10 years, so I picked it up for .45 cents.

In addition to those things, I also spent hours on amazon looking for the worst used copies of the best books on writing memoirs & managed to get 16 books -memoir & writing how-to’s, both Obama’s books & 5 memoirs- for $35.  (Hurrah for Amazon!)  I love books & felt that this was the happiest shopping day of the last year! 🙂 Point is, from what I’m reading about the how of memoir writing I’m also applying as I research other’s books.  So much so, Dave keeps asking when I am actually going to write from what I’m learning in my seemingly endless research.  I tell him he does not understand my art.

So, I pick up The Glass Castle, not to engage with the story, not for rest and not for fun.  This is part of my “research,” of course.  I am reading to apply what I’m learning about writing and to notice how they develop characters, evolve the plot arc, etc.  But what happens?  I got totally caught up in this wonderful book.  I mean, it is just amazing.  I must say, it is now one of my top 5 favorite memoirs of all time. (I know, right?!?!)  A page turner, I couldn’t put down.  And I had an ephiphany, to boot.

Everyone is right.  She doesn’t ooze a drop of self-pity & it makes for a fascinating enjoyable ride instead of a draining joy-kill.  If you know me & think I had a bad childhood, I’ve got nothing on her.  It is so helpful for me to consider how to tell a story without explaining every minute detail of how I was responding emotionally.

GREAT book!  A+

Highly Recommend

p.s. a small taste… http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/books/review/013COVERPROSE.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1