Memoir vs Autobiography
I recently wrote a memoir. A family member asked me, “Why wasn’t so-and-so mentioned in your book?”
“I didn’t include many special people, interesting places, and events of my life in the work, mainly because I wrote a memoir, not an autobiography.” I said.
“What’s the difference? I’m not sure I know. Isn’t a memoir supposed to be about all that you remember in your life?” he said.
That’s when I gave a brief comparison as I understood the differences.
“To me, a memoir presents slices of memory around a theme. The theme I chose was my adoption and healing love. The memoir began simply as a journaling of the various encounters I had as an adoptee with the love that finally healed my life and my wounded heart. Much of what I wrote when I started out was for my own personal reflection and not intended for publication. Only later did I see the theme emerge.
An autobiography, on the other hand, is a full, comprehensive accounting of everything in the life of the person writing. The autobiography organizes itself chronologically. The memoir or personal narrative, may meander through various memories and snatches of experiences surrounding the developing theme. Is that explanation helpful?”
“I think you should share that in an Introduction or Preface then.” he said.
“Perhaps a blog post will do. On behalf of my readers, I was trying to be brief and focused.” My family member seemed satisfied.
This is the simplified explanation of how I envisioned and wrote my recent book entitled, Adopted: An Adoptee’s Memoir of Healing Love. I hope I clarified the distinction enough to not be held guilty of leaving out him and others I love and value.
QUESTION: Is the explanation I gave clear and accurate as you think about the differences?
“CHOICE” || Spoken Word Poetry
Are you awake yet?
Adopted Memoir Available for Kindle
“I thought I’d be dead by 21”
Great pain produces character. It can just as easily produce fear, rejection, and self-loathing.
My early life produced in me a fear that I’d be dead by 21. This personal narrative is my memory of a lifelong search for love, belonging, and a sense of place. Walk with me on my journey through abandonment, panic attacks, fear, rejection, bullying, and unbelief, out into the blinding light of healing love.
Adopted touches on the issues nearly every child or adult adoptee must face on the way to maturity, wholeness, and redemption. Along the way it provides valuable insights to adoptive and foster parents who long to see their children whole; and, to adult adoptees who wonder why they do what they do and how healing can be the next chapter in their life story.
See product page at Amazon.com
Dear Readers & New Look for “David’s Place”
Wanted to give all my friends and readers a heads-up.
THEME CHANGE
I want to give you the best and easiest reading experience possible. I’ll be changing the look of my blog-site within the next couple of weeks (perhaps sooner). Don’t want you to be surprised when I do.
I hope you’ll like the new look and feel. Please take the time to comment once the change is made. Love to know what you think.
FOCUS
In addition, I thought it might be good to tell you about my focus here. I know that I’ve somewhat covered it in my ABOUT page, but not many people go to a blogger’s about page.
As someone on a spiritual journey to know God better, I write posts that I would like to read. Sometimes they’re on writing, or perhaps a review of a good book. Sometimes I simply need a laugh and post something humorous. I also post cultural warning signs so that fellow travelers will not be hurt along the path. Because foster care and adoption played a part in my childhood, I also write about that. And occasionally I post a devotional thought or journal entry from my various journals. My “How-to’s” seem to draw the most readers. Well . . . you get it. I intentionally mix it up–writing what I like reading.
CONTENT
Posting on a multiplicity of topics can prove frustrating for someone who’s looking for “a brand.” If you need a brand to subscribe to and follow my blog, check “categories” to filter my posts OR let it be this:
LOVE, LIFE, & ENCOURAGEMENT ALONG THE JOURNEY
I suppose that would be the sum of the parts.
FOLLOW
If anything in that brand appeals to you, then please follow my blog by either the follow button (if you’re on WordPress, signing up for email notifications, or subscribing to my post on Kindle.
COMMENTS
Though it’s not a requirement to read here. I would really appreciate it too if you would take the time to comment too so that we can develop a community. I know you’re busy, but it’s really great when I go to a site and follow discussions. They sometimes enlarge or enhance the author’s post. I’ve been helped by them as well.
THANKS
Well that’s about it. Thanks SO MUCH that you’ve read this far. And thanks for being a valued reader here at “David’s Place.” I appreciate your time and consider it a treasure.
BLESSINGS,
Support Meat Without Antibiotics
This is really important. Hormones and antibiotics lace our meats. Marcy and I stopped eating store-bought meat two years ago. We eat SOME meats, but they’re organic, range-grazed, non-GMO, non-antibiotic, meats, fish, & fowl. What about you? Are you accidentally and unknowingly poisoning yourself? Your family?
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH A “FRIEND.”
You may just save his/her life!
Sign the Petition too: http://www.meatwithoutdrugs.org/
You asked where Marcy and I get our meats? The Healthy Buffalo, in Chichester, NH.
Yes, they will ship to you. No, we do not work for them. We’re new customers and LOVE what they offer.
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Related articles
- The CAFO – MRSA Connection (ediblearia.com)
- Majority Of Consumers Prefer Food Without Antibiotics (thinkprogress.org)
- Poll: Americans Don’t Want Antibiotics in Their Meat | Mother Jones (drabes.org)
- Avoiding antibiotics in meat getting harder: report (ctv.ca)
- The Deadly Addiction to Cheap Meat (inthesetimes.com)
- Avoiding antibiotics in meat (wxyz.com)
- Our Meat: No Antibiotics, Ever (wholefoodsmarket.com)
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