The memoir is one of my favorite genres; even a just-okay memoir will generally captivate me enough to get me from Chicago to New York. Perhaps it’s the relatability of every human’s life story, perhaps it’s the backward-glance (or backward-study) that adds a layer of wisdom to whatever is written. I think a big part of it is the inherent vulnerability of telling one’s own story. Whatever it is, memoirs are reliably interesting to me. But some take it to another level.
Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell This was another read that I found deeply inspiring on so many levels, from Julie’s processing a national trauma on the frontlines to her commitment to regaining her sense of self through a creative challenge. It’s so so awesome that this is true story. I’m currently about halfway through the “other half” of this story, Julia Child’s My Life in France (another almost unbelievable true story), and the movie adaptation of these two books is ultimate cozy. (Also, for the very cheeky, someone on Vimeo cut the Julie parts out of the movie, to make Julia Sans Julie, a 58-minute biopic of Julia Child.)
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman and I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections both by Nora Ephron There’s nothing to be said about Nora that hasn’t been said already. What never ceases to impress me is the levity with which she dives into the minutiae of life, bouncing back out again like a golden retriever with apparent ease. For words that are so effortless to read, it’s easy to assume they were just as effortless to string together.
Mean Baby by Selma Blair After listening to Selma Blair’s impressive interview on The Goop Podcast, I picked up Mean Baby, and it was even more impressive. Selma courageously explores childhood trauma, the labels that are put upon us and the implications of those labels, addiction, abuse, friendship, family dynamics, and, very significantly, the downplaying of women’s issues in traditional medical settings, all with a strikingly deft pen. The minute I finished this, I was ready to read more from her because of her raw vulnerability, her use of language, and her ability to tell a fathoms-deep story.
My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up by Russell Brand I’m so grateful for the courage of anyone who decides to share the details of their rock bottom with the world, and Russell does this with such grace and intelligence and humor. His words opened up another level of empathy for me, while leaving me awestruck by his intellect and laughing out loud at his wit.
Pat in the City: My Life of Fashion, Style, and Breaking All the Rules by Patricia Field Talk about nostalgia for a world I never knew. Patricia Field is the genius who may as well have defined contemporary costuming, and her story is unlikely and inspiring and so exciting.
Tell Me Everything: A Memoir by Minka Kelly I heard this book was good on Glow Up and Speak Out. I’d never seen Minka Kelly in anything and therefore was completely uninvested in her story, so I never would have picked it up otherwise. I was thoroughly impressed with Minka’s processing of her childhood of neglect and abuse, and the generosity of spirit that it took for her to write such a vulnerable account of her life up to this point. This book is so poetically and skillfully written, and showcases Minka’s strength of character and her artistry.
Please tell me! Any great memoirs you’ve read that belong on this list?
Until next week…