Beth Kephart starts off telling us that she started as an unschooled writer and outsider in the book world. Don’t let her fool you. Like any author, she started out as an unknown. Don’t we all? But read her bio at Penn State, and I quote:
“Beth Kephart is the author of twenty-two books, publishing memoir, young adult literature, a corporate fairy tale, an autobiography of a river, and an essay and photography collection.” It also lists her many awards.
Beth Kephart is a serious memoirist, and a sought after creative nonfiction instructor.
If you want a how-to book written in lyrical prose, this would be the book. She not only instructs us, and gives us many examples, her own writing is part of the beauty she seeks in the written word.
Kephart gives us so many examples some readers may become tired of them if they are looking for nothing more than an instruction manual. But she also gives her readers exercises to play with the ideas on their own. So think of it as
concept -> examples -> your turn.
And if you are willing to play along, you might find some beautiful words dripping from your pen.
Handling the Truth is divided into four sections with section two, ‘Raw Material’, the bulk of the book, and the reason you are most likely to buy Handling the Truth. In this section, you will find the essence of her memoir teachings. Section two is held together by three shorter sections which give you a framework: what is and isn’t a memoir, starting your memoir and lessons on authenticity, empathy and beauty.
She also talks about how important it is to read in order to write: read memoirs before you write your memoir. She gives a list of memoirs by category in the Appendix. Page after page of memoir titles broken down into categories such as childhood relived, grief, the natural world, and unwell… to name only four. A good place to start your memoir journey.
Disclaimer: This blog may contain affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, we will earn a small commission. Please understand that we have experience with these products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make.
