Memoirs teach me about life and writing
by Jerry Waxler I’m reading 4 memoirs right now, and I learn something from each one. From Margaret George’s “Never use your dim lights,” I’m learning how politicians jerk each other around, and how...
View ArticleTool for learning memoir, author’s first book a triumph over odds
by Jerry Waxler I was excited last night when I reached the end of George Brummell’s memoir, Shades of Darkness. The very last paragraph in the book is about him volunteering to help other struggling...
View ArticleBlind veteran finds his voice by writing
When I came back from Vietnam I wasn't doing too well, and writing the memoir helped me organize my thoughts. Putting my thoughts on paper was elevating for me. It was quite therapeutic. I needed it at...
View ArticleFog of memoir, fog of war
His strange, impulsive acts remind me of times in my own teenage years when I acted without knowing why I was doing what I was doing, occasionally doing destructive, or even cruel things. It's...
View ArticleVeterans seek healing by cycling through Vietnam
Outside, in the world around them, the world seemed peaceful, while much of the real drama was taking place inside their minds, where memories boiled and occasionally erupted into tears. I empathized...
View ArticleStorytellers shed light on the horrors of war
In my journey to understand as much as possible about life writing, I consider the question many aspiring life writers raise. "Should I approach painful memories, and if so should the memories become...
View ArticleInterview with Vietnam vet memoir writer Jim McGarrah
One of my university students, a beautiful and sensitive and talented young writer, had joined the National Guard the year before the invasion to help pay her way through school. She was called up and...
View ArticleAwakening bad memories helps shape your new life
The intern at the hospital who was accustomed to treating survivors of barroom brawls had no idea how violated I felt. Not wanting to order tests, he brushed off my headache. "Of course it hurts," he...
View ArticleRead banned memoirs: Criminal or Social Activist?
by Jerry Waxler In the 60′s, I vigorously protested the Vietnam War, but like most Americans I thought the organization called the Weather Underground had gone too far. Without knowing many details, I...
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