Marion Roach Smith’s alternate sisterly reality, with Margaret Roach.
Hi, Sisters. It’s time to take a little break from TSP, regroup, and see where we’re at. In the interim, enjoy all the fabulous content. If you are looking for my memoir content, please come see me here, at my personal blog, where it’s all memoir, all the time. Enjoy. And keep in touch. Allbest, Marion
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IT’S BEEN A great time for my irreverent little book on writing. Today I will be on the wonderful NPR show, Talk of the Nation. I’d love you to listen it, of course, though you can hear it again this evening via the wonders of digital recording. Want to know how? [click to continue…]
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THE MEMOIR PROJECT is the name of my new book. Accompanied by the subtitle, A Thoroughly Non-Standardized Text for Writing & Life, the book’s title reflects it contents – a little irreverent, while being very how-to about writing what you know. When it was time to give a title to the book, those words seemed to sum it up best. [click to continue…]
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THREE SHORT WOMEN with three tall tales equals three extraordinary memoirs. And now, they’ve taken their show on the road. Come with me as I introduce you to the act that is one of the very best educations you can get in writing what you know. [click to continue…]
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ACCENTUATE THE COMPLICATED. Yes, I know, the phrase does not have the syncopation of the wildly more popular (as well as musical), “Ac-cen-tu-ate the positive,” but as far as I can tell, the complicated makes better memoir. You might come to agree with me if you read on. [click to continue…]
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ALL SHE KNOWS, she learned from the birds. It’s a slight exaggeration, but only slight, as sister Margaret explains in her gorgeous piece from PARADE magazine of this week. A lovely piece of memoir, read it here.
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A RECENT STUDENT said simply, “I write to understand myself.” And I loved that. The world would be a better place if we all understood ourselves just the eensiest bit more, don’t you agree? Does it mean that all the people who are writing about themselves should publish? Of course not. In fact, this particular student has no aspirations toward publishing. And good for him. His aspirations delight me, as does his increasing awareness of the life he leads. How about you? Have you got something you’d like to examine about yourself? I bet you do, and that all you need is a little inspiration. Here’s some. [click to continue…]
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I’M IN FOR some necessary change. And you know what? Good for me. I’ve been feeling a little stuffed up recently, and not just in my nose with the ongoing winter in the northeast, but in my life. And necessary change is just what is called for, or so says Sheilaa, our TSP astrologer, whose predictions are always spot on. Have you read what she has to say about you?
I’m an Aries. No surprise, with my red hair and fiery nature. Did you know I write about red hair here? And that fiery nature? Well, I’m a memoirist, and maybe this piece is the very best place to read up on just how hot it can get around here and whose job it is to cool me down.
Sheilaa tells me that my wildest dreams will come true, but only if I do the work. Such a great challenge. Speaking only of my professional life and my wildest dreams, as well as my efforts to achieve those dreams, all this will be given a real outing this year as my book on writing memoir comes out this June, published by Grand Central. And between now and then (and for a good long time after that) you can find me and that book on Twitter (mroachsmith@twitter.com), on Facebook (The Memoir Project), teaching at The Chautauqua Institute as well as at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, and launching a new how-to-write memoir website.
Follow along by watching this space, sisters.
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CHEAP NOTEBOOKS ENJOY the singular fame of being one of only two things you need to be a memoirist. The other, of course is a pen. You can add index cards to the list, but if you go out into your daily rounds carrying little more than a pen and a notebook you can write memoir. And you know what? You don’t have to believe me. This time, I’m bringing in a reliable witness. [click to continue…]
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I’VE BEEN WRESTLING with the damnedest feelings. Vague one minute, sharp as knives the next, they make me toss, turn, and turn up the oddest diagnoses for them. That is, until I consulted the oracle of upstate, my big sister, and while what she had to say may not sound all that therapeutic to you, it saved my life. [click to continue…]
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LITTLE SISTER, BIG SISTER: A digital moment, today.
First time here? Here's the idea: The Sister Project is a network of blogs about the many facets of the word sister, and the concept of sisterhood. A sisterhood of sister blogs, you could say. Whatever sister means to you, from identical twin to sister-in-law (or in friendship or in feminism), we’ll make room to listen in about it or express it on TSP. Like the slogan up top on our homepage says, “Don’t you have something to say to your sister?” We've got galleries of art and literature by and about sisters, and a Sisterpedia of sisterly trivia...but now we're getting ahead of ourselves. The quick study: Learn more about TSP, and how to find your way around. And oh—a giant, sisterly welcome.
