From the category archives:

My Students

Hal Prange’s Nostalgic Look at Leaving Arkansas

by Memoir Mentor on March 22, 2010

How often have we taken an action knowing at the time that our lives will never be the same? Nevertheless, we step into the future, out of bravery, adventure, necessity, sacrifice, love–or a combination of these motives. Hal Prange’s account of his parents’ decision to leave their Arkansas roots to follow their kids to California captures the [...]

Tagged as: , , , , , , ,

{ 2 comments }

Rhona Villanueva’s “Gypsy Baron” Gets the Details Right

by Memoir Mentor on March 15, 2010

If you’ve been reading regularly, you’ll know that I’ve been preaching DETAILS in my classes this term–encouraging my students to move away from general, forgettable descriptions to more carefully crafted, specific portraits. This week’s story was written by Rhona Villanueva, who was born in Estonia , fled with her family to Germany at the outset of [...]

Tagged as: , , , , , , , ,

{ 3 comments }

Kathleen Anderson’s Story Shows Why Details Matter

by Memoir Mentor on March 8, 2010

Writing books tell you it’s all in the details. It’s true. We make our stories more vivid, compelling–and real–with descriptions that include concrete, specific details. “I noticed a dented, blue Chevy parked in the driveway” is more interesting than “I noticed an old car in the driveway.” Or how about  spiffing up “I waited an hour at the [...]

Tagged as: , , , , , , , , ,

{ 1 comment }

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →