Writing A Memoir

Writing a memoir can be difficult, many thoughts run across the writer’s mind about how to reduce their life experiences into a book or can the event of their life be sufficient enough to capture the reader’s eye? Frank Mathias wrote “Writing a Memoir: The Involvement of Art and Craft”, in which he discusses the struggles he faced in writing about his experience as an enlisted in World War II. I agree with Mathias that writing a memoir is indeed art and craft; it goes hand-in-hand. In his case, writing the pure facts of war is like reading a history book and it was important that he write about the things that aren’t covered in history books, something anyone can relate to. In the sample essays from FSU, I found that they very much portrayed Mathias thought that pure facts were nothing without the voices and incredible descriptions that make one feel as if they were in the room with the characters. For example, “Sing with me Somehow” by Allison Slusarczyck uses dialogue from the time period of her story and the events that happen in her life are very common in anybody’s life, such as the passing of a friend do to drinking and driving. Also, the memoir written by Nicole Filmore, “Knocked Up”, embraces the reader with her difficulties as a pregnant teen. In conclusion, all these memoirs to some extent go along with Mathias idea of telling your story with personality because “art enhances the truth”.