Nonwastedyears

  The Memoir as a Literary Genre  In G. Thomas Couser’s Memoir: An Introduction , the scholar observes that one distinguishing element of the memoir is that the reader approaches the literary genre for the “wisdom and self-knowledge” derived from the author’s journey.  The reader’s attention shifts from style or form to explore the writer’s journey from who they were to who they are now, how they make sense of events in their lives, in addition to the values and challenges that have shaped the writer. A memoir is therefore a recollection of impactful memories in the writer’s life, which is usually very personal writing that calls to the reader’s emotions; its appeal lies in the nourishment the writer’s journey provides, which comprises of the wisdom and awareness that the main character experiences throughout the book.  From the other books I have read, from literary fiction to poems, the memoir stands out for the intimacy it creates between the narrator and the read...