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Reader Quotes

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Reader Quotes

“Nothing detains the reader's attention more powerfully than deep involutions of distress, or sudden vicissitudes of fortune; and these might be abundantly afforded by memoirs of the sons of literature. They are entangled by contracts which they know not how to fulfill, and obliged to write on subjects which they do not understand. Every publication is a new period of time, from which some increase or declension of fame is to be reckoned. The gradations of a hero's life are from battle to battle, and of an author's from book to book.”

Source: The Works of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.: With An Essay on His Life and Genius

“You have to take pains in a memoir not to hang on the reader's arm, like a drunk, and say, 'And then I did this and it was so interesting.”

Pain Interesting Arms Reader Memoir Drunk

Author:Annie Dillard

“Kerry Cohen's powerful, transfixing story will be familiar to many women, most of whom won't want to admit it. In this heartfelt and authentic memoir, Cohen transcends the pain and shame of a promiscuous past, and leaves readers with a sense of hope and triumph.”

Want Stories Pain Past Powerful Reader Shame Memoir Familiar Triumph Heartfelt Promiscuous

Author:Janice Erlbaum

“I don't read memoirs. But if you write a memoir, I would think you'd want people to know, "O.K., look, I've taken some liberties here." It's just a matter of being open with your readers.”

People Ifs Thinking Knows Want Writing Looks Matter Liberty Taken Reader Memoir

Author:Augusten Burroughs

“One of the things I learned about writing a memoir is you can’t drag the reader through everything. Every human life is worth 20 memoirs.”

Writing Humans Life Is Reader Memoir Human Life Drag

Author:Andre Dubus

“It's an ethical pact I've made with myself and with the reader - not to invent. And when I can't remember, I say I can't remember. I'm just appalled by the memoirs published by people who regurgitate dialogue, conversations from when they were small children, and they go on for three or four pages. I can't even remember what we said to each other ten minutes ago! How can I remember what was said sixty years ago? It's not possible.”

People Years Children Made Said I Can Remember Three Four Minutes Goes On Reader Ten Conversation Pages Years Ago Memoir Dialogue Ethical Sixty Small Child Pact

Author:Paul Auster

“To a certain extent that happens with all kinds of successful writers and artists and celebrities, but there is also something about the form of memoir that creates an eerie reader space of intimacy that is only "real" in the space of the text.”

Kind Real Happens Form Artist Certain Space Successful Reader Memoir All Kinds Intimacy Eerie

Author:Lidia Yuknavitch

“The memoir by women, read by female readers, is considered a market form, not "great literature."”

Form Literature Reader Female Memoir Great Literature

Author:Kate Zambreno