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The Truth of Memoir: How to Write about Yourself and Others with Honesty, Emotion, and Integrity Paperback – December 19, 2014

by Kerry Cohen (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
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Baring the Truth in Your Memoir

When you write a memoir or personal essay, you dare to reveal the truths of your experience: about yourself, and about others in your life. How do you expose long-guarded secrets and discuss bad behavior? How do you gracefully portray your family members, friends, spouses, exes, and children without damaging your relationships? How do you balance your respect for others with your desire to tell the truth?

In The Truth of Memoir, best-selling memoirist Kerry Cohen provides insight and guidelines for depicting the characters who appear in your work with honesty and compassion. You'll learn how to choose which details to include and which secrets to tell, how to render the people in your life artfully and fully on the page, and what reactions you can expect from those you include in your work--as well as from readers and the media.

Featuring over twenty candid essays from memoirists sharing their experiences and advice, as well as exercises for writing about others in your memoirs and essays, The Truth of Memoir will give you the courage and confidence to write your story--and all of its requisite characters--with truth and grace.

"Kerry Cohen's The Truth of Memoir is a smart, soulful, psychologically astute guide to first-person writing. She reveals everything you want to know--but were afraid to ask--about telling your life story." --Susan Shapiro, author of eight books including Only As Good as Your Word, and co-author of The Bosnia List
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    December 19, 2014
  5. Dimensions
    8.43 x 5.51 x 0.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1599637995
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1599637990
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Truth of Memoir illuminates, with graceful detail and revelatory examples, the fears and joys of writing and publishing a memoir. If you're scared to write a memoir, read this book. If you've written a memoir but are scared to publish it, read this book. Cohen reveals her first-hand experience of overcoming these fears and includes stories of other memoirists who have also found their inner strength. This book bravely enters the sometimes dark and tangled world of memoir writing--and finds light and clarity on the other side." --Sue William Silverman, author of Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir

About the Author

Kerry Cohen is the author of two memoirs: Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity and Seeing Ezra: A Mother's Story of Autism, Unconditional Love, and The Meaning of Normal. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times Modern Love series, The Washington Post, Literary Mama, and many other anthologies and journals.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group (December 19, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1599637995
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1599637990
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.43 x 5.51 x 0.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Kerry Cohen Hoffmann

Kerry Cohen Hoffmann

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Kerry Cohen is a doctor of clinical psychology and works as a licensed therapist in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of the memoirs Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity (Second Edition with new introduction and cover pubbed 2021), Seeing Ezra: A Mother’s Journey Through Autism, Unconditional Love, and the Meaning of Normal, and Girl Trouble. Her self-help book Crazy for You: Breaking the Spell of Sex and Love Addiction has helped thousands of people struggling with intimacy and relationship issues. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and Washington Post, and she has been a guest on Dr. Phil and Good Morning America. Her story was also featured on WE Network as part of the documentary The Secret Lives of Women. Visit her at www.kerry-cohen.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
50 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

S. Jane Gari
5.0 out of 5 stars "The Truth" is a Comprehensive How-To for Memoir Writers
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
I read Loose Girl by Cohen and fell in love with her style. As a writer of memoir myself, I found The Truth of Memoir invaluable, especially chapter 7 on legal issues. This is a must read for anyone even thinking about writing a memoir. But even if you just like reading personal stories, you'll love the book. Cohen artfully defines the parameters of memoir and gleans advice from authors well-versed in every subset of the genre. The greatest gift of this book is that it compiles advice about the craft of writing one's story from so many different authors. This kind of professional "crowd-sourcing" is especially effective because there is no danger of its being one-sided,and the advice she's collected is extensive. The end result is a comprehensive "how-to" that everyone who writes or reads nonfiction will enjoy. After reading the book, I now have a long list of memoir authors to read.
12 people found this helpful
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Allie
4.0 out of 5 stars References many other memoirs
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2019
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Many examples given. Appreciated all the references, as am trying to write my own memoir.
One person found this helpful
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RamonaMeadBlogger
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For All Memoir Writers
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
While this book didn't necessarily "teach" me things I wasn't already aware of as a memoir writer, it provides me with factual examples and advice from published memoirists. It reassures me that the challenges I face and things I worry about as I write, are common to all writers of the genre. It gives me a wide range of answers to some of the questions I have and reiterated the big answer, which is: you absolutely truly cannot know how anyone is going to respond to your writing. It also reminded me that I have every right to tell me stories and to do my best to be kind while doing it.
5 people found this helpful
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Nicole Terrizzi
5.0 out of 5 stars Really great guidance for a memoirist
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book offers such great insights and guidance as one navigates writing a memoir. The recommended writing prompts and real world experiences from authors were very impactful.
One person found this helpful
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Sherri S. Lunsford
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book, arrived in excellent shape
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book was recommended by my teacher to use as a guide for her memoir writing class. So far it has been very helpful.
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Dan Elyea
4.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference for memoirists
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
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Well-written. Gives a memoir writer many helpful considerations.
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Huntter
5.0 out of 5 stars How to Tell Your Truth
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is truly an excellent support system for memoir writers, keeping you honest and on track. Memoirs are too often dumping grounds for vendettas and guilt; this book helps strip away the been-there-done-that to get at your unique truth.
3 people found this helpful
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BeckyE
5.0 out of 5 stars Full of good advice
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015
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A must read if you are writing or thinking about writing memoir.
One person found this helpful
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