Getting Hooked on Memoirs: Preserve and Share Your Life Experiences Before They Are Lost

Publisher Marketing: "Your story of Robert Frost's visit to the Wesleyan campus in 1953 is heartwarming and memorable, and it must become part of the Wesleyan Archives." -Suzy Taraba, Wesleyan University Archivist "Love your songs, but it was the memoir of your 1992 Rotary visit to New Zealand that I enjoyed the most." -Glenn Estess Sr., Past Rotary International President "Getting Hooked on Memoirs" presents both a guide and a collection of memoirs designed to provide examples of this personal type of writing. In this helpful handbook, Dr. H. Kenneth Shook offers practical advice to aid in writing effective personal memoirs. Dr. Shook draws on his experiences in conducting sessions on writing and sharing memoirs to shares his knowledge and provide answers to these vital questions: What is a memoir? Is there a desired length for a memoir? Could the author of the memoir be sharing the experiences of others rather than his own experiences? How does a memoir differ from a research paper or a complete life history? Can memoirs include events of recent weeks or months, rather than focusing solely on events of the distant past? This practical guide will inspire everyone who reads it to delve into their own life experiences to share their story or experience in their very own memoir."