On September 5th, I posted my thoughts on Bob Welch’s book, Pebble in the Water. As promised, today I am sharing with you my thoughts on Jerry Waxler’s powerful new book on memoir writing, Memoir Revolution.

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Source: Jerry Waxler
Source: Jerry Waxler

MEMOIR REVOLUTION: A SOCIAL AND LITERARY SHIFT THAT USES YOUR STORY TO HEAL, CONNECT AND INSPIRE
By: Jerry Waxler
Publisher: Neural Coach Press
Published: March 13, 2013
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: Purchased

Synopsis: 

In the 1960s, Jerry Waxler, along with millions of his peers, attempted to find truth by rebelling against everything. After a lifetime of learning about himself and the world, he now finds himself in the middle of another social revolution. In the twenty-first century, increasing numbers of us are searching for truth by finding our stories. In Memoir Revolution, Waxler shows how memoirs link us to the ancient, pervasive system of thought called The Story. By translating our lives into this form, we reveal the meaning and purpose that eludes us when we view ourselves through the lens of memory. And when we share these stories, we create mutual understanding, as well. By exploring the cultural roots of this literary trend, based on an extensive list of memoirs and other book, Waxler makes the Memoir Revolution seem like an inevitable answer to questions about our psychological, social and spiritual well-being.

Advance Praise

“Jerry Waxler writes beautifully about his own life journey and integrates it with his deep and abiding knowledge and passion for story. His book is inspiring and welcoming to readers, writers, and teachers. I think his book could start an even bigger revolution!”

~ Linda Joy Myers, PhD, therapist, founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers and author of Don’t Call Me Mother and Journey of Memoir, a Workbook

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The new search for self takes advantage of Story, a powerful system of effort and reward that is at the heart of civilization. Through story, we learn about the journeys of others, learn the rigors and requirements of being ourselves, and then pass along what we’ve learned, developing far greater wisdom together than any of us could develop on our own.

~ Jerry Waxler (Memoir Revolution, Loc. 116, Kindle ed.)

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My Thoughts:

Jerry Waxler’s commitment to the burgeoning genre of memoir and his love of personal stories, his own and others, has brought to the pages of Memoir Revolution an amazing collection of his insights and life glimpses in combination with an overview of the genre and process of writing memoir.

As students of memoir, we are constantly reminded that reading others’ memoirs is the best way to grasp the craft of writing your story. Waxler stands as a leader among those who pass along this challenge, having read 100s of memoirs and continuing to do so. Drawing from his reviews of these memoirs on his blog, Memory Writers Network, Waxler’s analyses of these works offer a firm foundation for his credibility in showing the rest of us the “how to” of writing down our stories.

Often those of us writing memoir hear that to be published we must be a celebrity, someone famous, but not so says Waxler. In this book, he gives hope to the ordinary man and woman who believe they have a story to tell. And we all do. Waxler’s encouragement is palpable on the book’s pages.

Coupling clarity and readability, and his own coming of age story, Jerry Waxler brings to the writing community a must-read book for anyone drawn to writing memoir.

My Recommendation:

If you are interested in writing your life story or memoir, consider purchasing Waxler’s book. It is a window into the 21st century memoir revolution, as coined by Waxler, a revolution you can become a part of as you gaze into the windows of your soul for your own stories.

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Meet the Author:

JERRY WAXLER teaches memoir writing at Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA, online, and around the country. His Memory Writers Network blog offers hundreds of essays, reviews, and interviews about reading and writing memoirs. He is on the board of the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference and National Association of Memoir Writers and holds a BA in Physics and an MS in Counseling Psychology.

You can read more about Jerry Waxler here . . .

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NEXT UP on Monday, September 16th, I will be a guest on Nikki Laven’s blog, simplystriving, using my writing in a different style than usual. Faith plays a big part in who I am and how I arrived at this writing life. I hope you’ll join me at Nikki’s.