Jerry D. Tinsley
Kevin Allison, a member of the Quail Creek Writers and Poets Club with a background in geophysics and geology, gave a well-researched and interesting presentation on “Memoir Writing” on March 7 to club members and interested guests. His 16-point outline emphasized the importance of telling your truth about the real issues in your life, how you changed due to pivotal points, and lessons learned in transition.
He noted the writer must always keep the reader in mind, focusing on issues that inspire, support, inform, and/or entertain. He suggested a memoir, which is shorter and more dramatic than an autobiography, and may look like a series of essays that describe: 1) What’s at stake, 2) What I tried, and 3) What worked.
Memoirs are about the emotional experiences of life and show our vulnerability. Readers identify with our humanity. He cites Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, as an example of a memoir that demonstrates these qualities.
The Writers and Poets Club meets on the first and third Thursday of each month in the Kino Conference Room from 1 to 3 p.m. All interested Quail Creek residents are invited.