Memoir author Candy Mitchell shares a story Candy Mitchell is working on her second family history. Her first book was about her great-grandfather, who traveled from Connecticut to Oklahoma during the land rush, and wound up as a newspaperman in Muskogee. Candy was able to use excerpts […]
The Werrin Building at Virginia City
Today, it’s the home of Virginia City’s popular Cafe del Rio restaurant. But back in the 1870s, this two-story brick building at 170 “C” Street housed the grocery store of John S. Werrin, with rooms for rent above. Even today, you can still make out Werrin’s name painted above the door. So […]
Sharing a Story: from Margaret McCaffrey
This month I put out a call to fellow memoir writers, asking if anyone would like to share a short snippet they’re especially proud of from their memoir-in-progress. Such beautiful responses flowed in! Margaret McCaffrey of Melbourne, Australia shared not only a beautiful story about her dad, but also […]
How I Rescued a Traveler’s Diary from 1835
I stumbled across a small, hand-written diary in an antique store in May, 1988. I’d never run across an old diary for sale before, and had no idea what this one was about. All I knew is what it said on the tag: “1835 handwritten trip journal.” The diary […]
Memoir Tip: What Can You Leave Behind?
Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be asked to help a Native American woman complete her oral history. This month, I attended her funeral. Funerals aren’t generally happy affairs. But this one left me feeling up-lifted. It was a genuine celebration of a well-lived life. And although […]
1835 Traveler’s Diary
Like a free excerpt? Over thirty years ago, I discovered an old traveler’s diary in an antique shop. Written in 1835, it recorded the travels of a New England gentleman as he explored the “west” (today’s Midwest), searching for land and opportunity. Click here to read a free excerpt! * […]
A Short History of Lebec, CA
A Short History of Lebec (Part 1): Peter Lebec may have lost his battle with a grizzly bear almost 200 years ago. But Lebec’s name still graces the California valley where he died in 1837. Today, the small town of Lebec, California – named after the […]
Baby Face Nelson at Walley’s Hot Springs, NV
Yes, that Baby Face Nelson. . . . What better place for a wanted man to spend a quiet month hiding from the feds than the cabins of an out-of-the-way tourist resort. Walley’s Hot Springs, Nevada, to be precise. On October 1, 1934, Lester Joseph Gillis, aka George […]
Finding Your Writer’s Voice
MEMOIR TIP: You’ve probably heard about “writer’s voice”: that distinctive style that sets you apart from every other writer who’s come before. Part of it’s your tone. Maybe distinguished. Compelling. Funny. Or quirky. But it’s also the feeling your readers get as they read those words you strung together. It’s the way […]
Tales of Old Sheridan, Nevada
It was 1855 or thereabouts when Moses Job, an enterprising trader from Virginia, opened a small store at what would eventually become Sheridan, Nevada. Job’s trading post nestled right beside the Emigrant Trail, a convenient spot for both passing emigrants and nearby settlers. Soon, a small cluster of homes and businesses […]
Keeping the Writing Spark Alive
What keeps you going, when you’re writing a memoir? It’s different for everyone, of course. But sometimes a simple word of encouragement can make all the difference. We asked a group of fellow memoir writers recently what keeps them going, and what advice they […]
Handling Trauma and Healing In Your Memoir
Meet Memoir Writer Leslie Ferguson: As a child, all Leslie really wanted was a normal family and a mother’s love. Instead, she found herself trying to navigate a terrifying world with a schizophrenic mother, who tried to kill her. Hungry, afraid, and intermittently homeless, Leslie knew she had to leave to survive. But […]