With Simpson County’s focus on Bicentennial events this spring, I’ve been thinking about how history is passed down by writing.
Since this is a column about books, I thought about their importance to what we know of the past and realized that without books that bring history to life, much of it would be lost to us. And without history, we can’t comprehend the present.
Of course, we can read straight history books about the San Francisco fire, Viking exploration and even the history of our own county, but one of my favorite ways to read history is through a memoir.
A memoir is just what it looks like — a memory of a life lived during some era or situation or event that we learn about from reading one person’s memory of it. It is different from a biography or an autobiography because it reflects the subject’s life through his or her own personal, intimate memories.
Anyone can write a memoir, but not all memoirs will be published. My memories of growing up might be interesting to me, but they probably wouldn’t be a best-seller on Amazon.
To write a saleable memoir, you must either be a famous person with a recognizable name, or you must have lived an unusual or compelling life that will draw customers to the bookstore.
A recent example of such a memoir is that of the current pope of the Catholic Church, Frances. Life, My Story Through History, told to and written by Fabio Marchese Ragona, is the story of the 81-year-old pontiff’s life through the world events that marked his rise to the papacy, from 1939 to the present day. As head of the world’s 1.3+ billion Catholics, he has a built-in readership, Not being Catholic, I may not get to it — “so many books, so little time”— but many will buy and read this personal view of modern history through a famous world figure’s eyes.
When the author is an important figure, like the pope, or someone who affected history or culture, a memoir of his or her life will attract readers. So former President Barak Obama’s Dreams from My Father or author Ernest Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast were best sellers because their authors already had name recognition. American poet and author Maya Angelou was famous before she wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, her memoir that deals not with her later fame, but with her growing up years in a racist environment. It is both heart-breaking and inspiring.
Other memoirs are instantly popular because they are written by celebrities, and the world idolizes celebrities. England’s Prince Harry was able to sell his memoir because he’s famous for what he isn’t, which is part of England’s royal family. His story, Spare, tells about his split from a family line in which he couldn’t hope to become king. Many people bought it, but it seems too much like whining over sour grapes to me. Not going to be reading that one.
Some authors of memoirs aren’t famous until they write their stories, Tara Westover, for example, wasn’t famous until she wrote her memoir Educated, which tells about her upbringing in a strict Mormon family that didn’t believe in education or free choice for children. It’s such a compelling reflection on a unique life that I’m still urging people to read that one.
Some memoirs are successful because they present one person’s response to a single issue in life that others can relate to. Joan Didion, for example, was already a highly successful journalist when she wrote The Year of Magical Thinking, her reflection on grief and how it affects modern women after the death of their husbands. American writer Augusten Burroughs’ memoir Running with Scissors, which I read because of its title, reflects on his childhood in “free” modern American society, in which his quirky would-be poet mother sends him to live with her psychiatrist and “a motley crew of misfits” he has taken in. Read it to be thankful if you were lucky enough to have a normal childhood. Add to that quirky category Jennetta McCurdy’s story, I’m Glad My Mom Died, about life as a modern day child media star.
Relatively unknown people sometimes become famous for a memoir based on how a particular historical event or era affected them. Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night recalls the horrors of the Holocaust. Weisel was not famous until Night was published in 1958, but his book brought him fame which turned into a successful career in writing, teaching and political action.
So this month, cast the glow from your reading lamp upon a memoir and enjoy learning about history from the up close and personal side.
