Memoir Journal

mef comments on Town

mef — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:41:42 GMT

Lovely. So close to the bone, it was hard to take in on first reading. Thank you.

at comments on Town

at — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:37:34 GMT

So touching and honest. Gets right down to the bedrock of human emotional experience.

k bales comments on Town

k bales — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:15:00 GMT

A beautiful unfolding. Each phrase more rich than the one before. Tears at the last. It is hard to write a comment about such powerful prose-- I am quite paralyzed. Thank you. Where can I read more?

LIANE KUPFERBERG CARTER comments on Love is Like This

LIANE KUPFERBERG CARTER — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:00:32 GMT

Visceral , moving and passionate.
Liane shares so honestly her experience, and we too, share her pain as we read.

As I revisit my charitable contributions, Autism Speaks will be added to the list.

Thank you for sharing your journey Liane, and our best to your family.

NK

mf comments on Town

mf — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:23:44 GMT

Creates a kind of stillness, and yet moving. Reminds me very much of my own Town

jfh comments on Town

jfh — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:22:14 GMT

I was so drawn into reflections about place and belonging that the final part about death caught me totally off-guard, and was all the more powerful for that reason. The poem strikes a lovely balance of playing with language (e.g. "ground," but other examples as well) without letting the cleverness distract from its contemplative force and emotional heft.

lynne comments on Town

lynne — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:10:43 GMT

amazing, I really think you and this poem are just amazing

jc comments on Town

jc — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:24:30 GMT

This poem gets increasingly complicated, like my relationship to the Town I'm from. Uncomfortable for me to read for that reason, but the voice is honest, if not assured, throughout so I know I'll read it again.

Martha H. comments on Town

Martha H. — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:15:41 GMT

Previous post by me, re: poet Dianne Bilyak

Dianne Bilyak comments on Town

Dianne Bilyak — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:14:00 GMT

Astoundingly beautiful and mature.

t. grammer comments on Town

t. grammer — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:51:39 GMT

"the quickening air of my first grief" -- yes. the play on "grounds" -- fun, but not frivolous. there is a gravity throughout. i particularly appreciate the rhythm of the voice here and the depth of the writer's self-knowledge. i would love to hear more from ms. bilyak.

Carrie comments on Love is Like This

Carrie — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:54:38 GMT

This is so lovely. I am tearing reading the words that I have felt but could never write down. It is so eloquent and honest. Thank you Liane for sharing your feelings.

11.1.09 New Memoir (and) Submission and Contest Period Opens Today!

Memoir (and) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:21 GMT

We’re excited about once again opening our doors to new submissions! Works come to Memoir (and) from all over the world. Whatever your story, we look forward to reading it.

SUBMISSION PERIOD DATES
The submission period opens November 1, 2009 and will close at midnight February 15, 2010. Snail mail submissions must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2010 in order to be considered.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Read the Submission Guidelines.
Submit online with our Submission Manager, or
Submit by snail mail to Memoir (and) Submissions, PO Box 1398, Sausalito, CA 94966-1398. To be advised of the status of your snail mail submission, include a SASE, or your email address.

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE?

Online: Midnight, February 15, 2010
Snail mail: Postmarked no later than February 15, 2010

IN WHICH ISSUE WILL THESE SUBMISSIONS BE PUBLISHED?

Volume 3, Number 2: Fall+Winter 2010

HOW DO YOU ENTER THE CONTEST?

Just submit, and you will be entered into the contest automatically.
There is no contest entry fee.

WHAT PRIZES ARE OFFERED?

Click here to read all about our prizes.

WHEN WILL CONTEST WINNERS FOR THIS SUBMISSION PERIOD BE ANNOUNCED?

June 15, 2010

WHERE CAN YOU READ ABOUT PREVIOUS CONTEST WINNERS?

Click here.

Questions? Email submissions [at] memoirjournal.com or call (415) 339-3142.

DAC comments on Louisiana

DAC — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:11:18 GMT

Having never laid eyes on Louisiana myself, I can only surmise what the dog of the poem is truly meant to represent. Still, one detects something deeply meaningful and deeply sad in the relationship of the "I' and the dog: something of the necessity of dependence in the wake of tragedy, but also something of its impossibility. But then again, sometimes a dog is just a dog. And this one is terribly familiar in its mannerisms. Like a pal, like a best friend. I commend the author's tactfulness in encapsulating this relationship, in its closeness and its distance.

Bill Haney comments on In Mr. Hiyoshi's Building

Bill Haney — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:42:08 GMT

David Rompf's gracefully told account of his time in Japan, of Mr. Hiyoski, was taut, poignant and so evocative for me of my time in Japan and the graciousness of the friends I made there. His clean, spare prose perfectly complemented and illuminated his subject. What a fine and sensitive writer.

Merimee moffitt comments on Little Red Fire Truck to the Rescue

Merimee moffitt — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:02:36 GMT

this is my favorite poem if yours all time--got me in the jab to the head/heart/eyes/tears/pictures n candy and little red wagon spot--rock on Zach man

Jordan's Mom comments on Love is Like This

Jordan's Mom — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:11:49 GMT

I barely could breathe as I read this beautiful essay. How can I assure this mother that it does get easier...that somewhere somehow you learn to relax a little and see more golden moments with your child. Mine will turn 24 this week, and I could never have conceived that he would attend his senior prom, have a girlfriend, work a couple hours a day at job. At 16 that would have been an impossible dream. I am learning like other parents of children with autism, that the impossible can happen but the miracles never will.

For his birthday he has chosen to go to NYC and see a Broadway show...and for his 25th he will go to London. Only by continually exposing him to the impossible have we been able to achieve these things. His brother like Jonathan still holds his breath in public when Jordan does something unusual or starts to have a meltdown. But those days are fewer now. I don't know what the future will bring, but what I have seen happen, develop, grow, create, whatever you want to call it, makes me positive that Jordan's life will be easier and harder than i had imagined. For Mickey, too, see the beauty and enjoy every moment.

D. Perez comments on Love is Like This

D. Perez — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:49:28 GMT

Many of us that walk in shoes like Liane's never find the right words to describe how we feel. Thank you Liane for this beautiful, and very real peek at your life and how you feel. I will always remember your words.

kT comments on Love is Like This

kT — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:42:15 GMT

Beyond words.. this is wonderful journaling. I have felt and been in similar situations and could not put it down on paper. well done and God Bless

10.19.09 Online Content Advisory

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:45:10 GMT

Limited time to read Fall+Winter 2009 Issue online!

If you like what you see, please subscribe to Memoir (and) to continue reading the poetry and prose from our amazing authors. The online version of their work will remain posted through the month of November; after that, it will be available in print only. Readers, writers, artists, and memoir enthusiasts are encouraged to support Memoir Journal’s mission to build collective community by publishing the finest, most diverse and unique personal narratives through the purchase of Memoir (and).

FAQ

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:10:22 GMT

You use the word “memoir” in a liberal way. What do you consider a “memoir” to be for the purposes of your journal?
Any creative work that is not fictional and that observes or describes, in one way or another, the author’s personal experience. In form, it can be prose, epistolary, experimental, poetry, narrative photography, graphic, and so on.

Is your journal an e-zine or a print journal?
We’re primarily a print journal that publishes some of its content online. We’ll be starting an e-zine section soon.

How many pieces of work may I submit?
We accept one entry per author per reading period. This entry can consist of:

ONE prose or graphic memoir

OR a maximum of five poems

OR five narrative photographs

I’ve never published before, or published very little. No one has ever heard of me. Does my work still really have a chance of getting published?
Yes. We engage in “blind reading,” the process by which the author’s name and publishing history are not attached to the work. This gives a level playing field to all submitters.

I write poetry and prose. May I send one submission in each genre?
No, unfortunately. However, we encourage you to submit your work to the journal more than once, as long as the submissions occur during different reading periods.

How can I be sure you received my snail mail submission?
You will receive an email confirming we’ve received your submission. If you do not include your email address with your submission, you must include a self-addressed, stamped postcard. We’ll put that in the mail when we receive your submission to confirm receipt.

How long will I have to wait until I hear from you about my submission?
You should hear from us within sixteen weeks of the close of the reading period. If you have not heard from us by that time, you can assume your work has not been accepted for publication.

How will I be informed of your decision about my submission?
We will email you within sixteen weeks of the close of the reading period. If you did not give us an email address, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your submission so that we can reply to you via snail mail.

Do you work with volunteer readers?
Yes, we do. We’re always looking for more qualified people to help us read and critique the diverse and interesting memoirs we receive. Our readers critique submissions from home using our online Submission Manager. If you’re interested in becoming a reader, contact kguis [at] memoirjournal [dot] com.

What format do you prefer for submissions?
We accept Microsoft Word. If you use a different word processing program, please save your file as an RTF or text-only document before you send it.

How do I enter your contests?
All work submitted will automatically be entered in the contest. If you don’t want your work to be eligible for the contest, please let us know in your cover letter.

How much does it cost to enter my submission?
There is no charge to enter our contests. Zip. Nada. FREE.

Do I have to include a cover letter?
Yes, please include a cover that at least includes your name, address, phone and email. If you’re submitting online, please paste your letter into the “Comments” section of our online Submission Manager.

Why must I leave my name off my document?
We engage in “blind reading,” the process by which an author’s name and publishing history are not attached to the work. This gives a level playing field to all submitters.

If I leave my name off my document, how do I know you won’t mix up my submission with someone else’s?
We use an online Submission Manager. It never misplaces anything.

If you publish my submission, does that mean I can’t publish it later in the full-length book I’m writing?
You should consult your publisher about that. However, we will not retain the rights to your work (we purchase one-time rights only), and all rights revert to you six months after the issue is published.

I’m working on a book. Can I send you four or five chapters?
Sorry, no. Though we would enjoy reading your book chapters, we only accept submissions that follow our guidelines. You might think about sending us your book material edited in such a way that it can “stand alone” as a submission.

I published a book. Can I mail it to you so you can see if there’s anything in it you like?
Unfortunately no. But if you make a selection under 10,000 words and submit it to us, we’ll be happy to read it. If you send it anyway, we apologize but it will go unread.

Will you publish critical or interpretive essays about others’ memoirs, or will you only publish actual memoirs?
Yes, we hope to publish critical and interpretive essays. We’ll be publishing writing about memoir as well as memoirs themselves. We have many questions about memoirs—Why are more memoirs being published? Can a poem really be a memoir? We want the journal to explore these issues in any way.

How frequently do you publish?
Twice a year: Spring+Summer and Fall+Winter. In 2008, we had three issues because of our Inaugural Re-Release.

I don’t see the information I need here.
We are happy to answer your questions. Email us at submissions (at) memoirjournal (dot) com or call us at (415) 339-3142.

Submission Guidelines

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:08:23 GMT

UPDATE NOVEMBER 1, 2009

SUBMISSION PERIOD NOW OPEN

SUBMISSION PERIOD DATES
The submission period opens November 1, 2009 and will close at midnight February 15, 2010. Snail mail submissions must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2010 in order to be considered.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Read the Submission Guidelines below.

Submit online with our Submission Manager, or

Submit by snail mail to Memoir (and) Submissions, PO Box 1398, Sausalito, CA 94966-1398. To be advised of the status of your snail mail submission, include a SASE, or your email address.

Questions? Email submissions [at] memoirjournal.com or call (415) 339-3142.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: THE BASICS

What to submit
Memoir (and) publishes memoirs in many forms. We strive with each issue to include a selection of prose, poetry, graphic memoirs (visit www.guttergeek.com for reviews of graphic narratives), narrative photography and more. No submission is too unusual or traditional to be considered for publication.

Contests
In each of our two yearly reading periods, we select the most outstanding submissions and award four prizes:

Memoir (and) Prize in Prose or Poetry

Grand Prize: $500
Second Prize: $250
Third Prize: $100

Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir

Grand Prize: $100

There is no fee to enter. All works submitted are eligible to win. See Contests for more details.

Where to submit

We strongly prefer to receive submissions via our online Submission Manager. Snail mail submissions may be addressed to: Memoir (and), PO Box 1398, Sausalito, CA 94966-1398.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: ALL CATEGORIES

Only one submission per person per reading period.
Please submit either:
- Prose (one submission, maximum 10,000 words) OR
- Poetry (maximum of five poems of any length, all in one document) OR
- Graphic memoir (one submission that will fit on no more than twenty 7” x 10” pages) OR
- Narrative photography (up to five images)
We do not accept submissions previously published in print or on the web. (Note: a personal blog is not considered “publication.”)
We DO accept simultaneous submissions.
We prefer prose and poetry submissions in Microsoft Word format. If you use a different word processing program, please save your file as an RTF or text-only document before you send it.
Upon publication, we purchase one-time six-month rights, and pay with copies of the journal in which your piece would appear, as well as a one-year subscription. We do not give monetary compensation unless you win a prize.

Formatting for blind reading

Memoir (and) engages in “blind reading” of submissions. Blind reading is the process wherein an author’s name and publishing history are not attached to the submission so editors are “blind” to these details when reading, thus creating a level playing field for all submitters. Any submission with contact information on the work itself will be ineligible for publication.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: PROSE AND POETRY

When submitting online, do not include your name anywhere on the document itself. Your contact information is registered in the database and will remain tied to your submission.
When submitting via snail mail, you must include a cover sheet with your name, address, email, phone number and the title of the piece.
Whatever method you use to submit, so that we may do blind reading, please include only the title of your piece and the page number on each page of your manuscript.
All prose pages should double-spaced; poetry may be single-spaced.
Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope ONLY if you do not provide an email address.
Manuscripts will not be returned. (Sorry!)
If you submit by snail mail and would like confirmation that we have received your work, please include a self-addressed stamped postcard and we’ll put it in the mail once we receive your submission.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: IMAGES

Please submit one graphic memoir, or up to five photographic images.
Our online Submission Manager only accepts files up to 500 K in size. Please upload a lower-quality non-source file for us to view, or email larger files to submissions (at) memoirjournal (dot) com. If you have a file or group of files over 10 MB in size, please email us to set up a way to transfer files.
For multiple page submissions, please submit one file per page and include the page number in each file name.

Please be advised that when going to print, we will need your files in the following formats:

Resolution:
- Photograph and grayscale images: 300-600 ppi at 6” wide
- Black and white and/or line art: 600-2400 ppi at 6” wide (higher resolution preferred)
TIFF, EPS or highest resolution JPEG (for scanned images) files only.
When exporting files from their native software application, please make sure that the compression feature is deactivated.

ASSISTANCE

Questions? Read our FAQ.

Lost your password? Trouble submitting online? See Help.

Still not sure? Contact us.

Contest

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:06:24 GMT

UPDATE NOVEMBER 1, 2009

SUBMISSION PERIOD NOW OPEN

CONTEST PERIOD DATES
The reading period opens November 1, 2009 and will close at midnight February 15, 2010. Snail mail submissions must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2010 in order to be considered.

CONTEST RULES

There is no contest entry fee.

All submissions are automatically entered in the Contest.

Submissions not chosen as Contest winners are still eligible for publication.

Submission guidelines can be found here.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Read the Submission Guidelines.

Submit online with our Submission Manager, or

Submit by snail mail to Memoir (and) Submissions, PO Box 1398, Sausalito, CA 94966-1398. To be advised of the status of your snail mail submissions, include a SASE, or your email address.

PRIZES OFFERED

Three Memoir (and) Prizes for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

The Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Memoir (and) Prizes for Memoir in Prose or Poetry are awarded to the most outstanding prose or poetry memoirs—traditional, nontraditional or experimental—drawn from the reading period.

Grand Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$500 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Second Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$250 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Third Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

The Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir is awarded to the most outstanding graphic memoir drawn from the reading period.

Prize for Graphic Memoir

$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

Memoir–What Is It?

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:04:58 GMT

Candida Lawrence,

Founding Editor

When we first considered publishing a journal focused on memoir, we were confident that we knew one when we read one, heard one, wrote one. After industrious spelunking into the fog of literary critical theory, book ads and blurbs, we have concluded that memoir will have to be defined by the submissions that come to us and our reactions to them. This position is a cowardly one, but we truly have looked so far afield that we cannot confidently erect a fence and say this belongs inside, this is definitely outside. We have even asked each other if a poem (Ginsberg’s “Howl” or “Supermarket in California”) or Kate Wolff’s song “Great Divide,” or most of Hopper’s paintings, or even Peanuts cartoons that Schultz claimed were childhood memories, are these memoirs? If not, why not? If so, why so?

What we call memoir usually is first person, but need it be? My three published books (Reeling and Writhing, Change of Circumstance, …Fear Itself,) my publisher calls ‘memoirs’ and he names me ‘memoirist.’ Yet they are not always in the first person. Sometimes I want the distance of third person, the music of a poem, the pretense of speaking from another’s mind. Could a series of photographs be a memoir? Is a child’s drawing of a jail with barred windows and bombs dropping down from on high, a memoir?

And here comes St. Augustine, of all people, placed in front of me at the kitchen table by Joan, our managing editor:

And when indeed I wish to speak of Carthage, I seek within myself what to speak, and I find within myself a notion or image of Carthage; but I have received this through my body, that is, through the perception of the body, and I saw it and perceived it, and retained it in my memory, that I might find within myself a word concerning it, whenever I might wish to speak of it. For the word is the image itself of it in the memory, not that sound of the two syllables when Carthage is named, or even when that name itself is thought of silently from time to time, but that which I discern in my mind, when I utter that disyllable with my voice, or even before I utter.

Clear?

And Thoreau:

…we hear and apprehend only what we already half know. If there is something which does not concern me, which is out of my line, which by experience or by genius my attention is not drawn to, however novel and remarkable it may be, if it is spoken, we hear it not, if it is written, we read it not, or if we read it, it does not detain us. Every man thus tracks himself through life, in all his hearing and reading and observation and traveling. His observations make a chain.

That chain is, I believe, memoir, in whatever form it assumes. If you think otherwise, argue with us please.

What's with the "(and)" in "Memoir (and)"?

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:01:57 GMT

Joan E. Chapman,

Managing Editor

These days, as you know, memoir is very popular, in many senses of that word. The Somebody, the Nobody, the Everybody—it seems that almost anybody can get a memoir published if it meets certain criteria. What criteria? We’re not sure. But we suspect the change in what’s getting published has something to do with the post-Marxist commoditization of our lives. Just a wild guess… Well, we searched our hearts, and that’s not why we started this journal.

When prospecting for a name, we noticed the word “memoir” can bring to mind a sepia-toned, how-grandpa-got-his-war-injury kind of publication. And though we find value in family stories, we had some concern people might get the wrong idea. Just so you know, we are not at all fond of sentimental. But we are looking for personal accounts, many of which are memoir, and we wanted a name that shouted that out. So what to do?

So we added the “(and).” Everything else seemed limiting; only the “(and)” seemed to open up the possibilities. And here we are.

Advertise

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:00:14 GMT

Memoir (and) offers ad exchanges or free print advertising space to literary journals, writers conferences and other organizations that support memoir writers or memoir as a genre.

Contact admin (at) memoirjournal (dot) com or call (415) 339-3142 if you would like to advertise with us.

Who We Are

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:57:48 GMT

Candida Lawrence, Founding Editor
Candida Lawrence lives in Mill Valley and San Francisco with her dog Milo. She has published in Missouri Review, Chattahoochee Review, American Short Fiction, Ohio Journal, Sonora Review, Passages North, Soundings East, and various anthologies. Perhaps her most notorious accomplishment was to create new identities for herself and her two young children and escape detection for twenty years. The details of this story are found in her memoirs, Reeling and Writhing, Change of Circumstance, …Fear Itself, and Vanishing.

Claudia Sternbach, Chair, Editorial Board
Claudia Sternbach has been a columnist and feature writer for the Santa Cruz Sentinel for more than fifteen years and is a feature writer for Santa Cruz Magazine. She has written often for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune and the San Francisco Examiner. She has also been published in Redbook Magazine as well as several anthologies. Her memoir, Now Breathe was published by Whiteaker Press in 1999.

Above all, however, she has known Candida Lawrence for almost two decades. She was fortunate enough to be a member of Candida’s writing group when Candida lived in Santa Cruz and still misses her thoughtful input.

Joan E. Chapman, Managing Editor
Joan E. Chapman worked as a feature film picture and sound editor on many films including Witness, Weekend at Bernie’s, and Serial Mom, and trained as a clinical psychology intern at the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. Her essay “Fields of Awareness” was Editors’ Pick in the Fall 2006 issue of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Larry Connolly, Prose Editor
Larry Connolly writes, edits and lives in San Francisco.

Karen Benke, Poetry Editor
Karen Benke has been published in Ploughshares, Hawaii Pacific Review, Poetry East, Rockhurst Review, Tiferet, online at Poetry Daily, and elsewhere. The author of Sister (Conflu:X Press, 2004), she’s also a teacher and writing guide who, for the past 15 years, has indulged her love of learning from the Masters by leading poetry workshops for children through the California Poets in the Schools Program. She lives in Mill Valley, California, with her family and a cat named Clive.

Sarah Schafer, Office Manager
Sarah grew up in Southern California and attended UC Santa Barbara, where she majored in Art History. Prior to joining Memoir Journal, she worked as an administrator for various Bay Area arts and education organizations. She lives in Oakland with a cat and a chef.

Ted Stokley, Webmaster and Photo Editor
Little is known of Ted Stokley’s life prior to his joining the staff of Memoir Journal in June 2008. Some say he was a wombat trainer for a traveling circus in Norway, while others contend he spent many fruitless years as a theme park designer in the Outback of Australia.

Leaving him alone with small children and fire extinguishers is ill-advised.

Contest Details

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:41:20 GMT

UPDATE NOVEMBER 1, 2009

SUBMISSION PERIOD NOW OPEN

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Memoir (and) Prizes for Memoir in Prose or Poetry are awarded to the most outstanding prose or poetry memoirs—traditional, nontraditional or experimental—drawn from the reading period.

Grand Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$500 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Second Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$250 cash award
Publication in print and online
Six copies of the journal

Third Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry

$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

The Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir is awarded to the most outstanding graphic memoir drawn from the reading period.

Prize for Graphic Memoir

$100 cash award
Publication in print and online
Three copies of the journal

Mission

Memoir (and) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:21:21 GMT

“This is the age of memoir,” proclaims William Zinsser in Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir. If he’s right, memoir will come of age in our century. As a form, it will outgrow the constraints bound upon it for so long, as the novel did in the twentieth century.

Memoir (and) is a nonprofit literary journal born with these ideas in mind. Our mission is to publish traditional as well as nontraditional forms of nonfiction allied with memoir. This includes, but is not limited to, autobiography, diary, personal and critical essay, reportage, autobiographical fiction, alternative histories, “flash memoir,” narrative poetry or “poemoir” (it’s okay to groan, we did) and graphic memoir.

We strive with each issue to include a selection of:

* prose

* poetry

* graphic memoirs (for examples, visit Gutter Geek)

* narrative photography

…and more. The editors particularly invite submissions that push the traditional boundaries of form and content in the exploration of the representation of self. We also just love a memoir well-told.

No submission is too unusual—modern, postmodern, or hypermodern—for us to consider. We look forward to the ways you will surprise, delight and perhaps shock us, or move us to tears.

New! Check out Memoir (and) in the Literary Spotlight of the current issue

of The Writer (November 2008). Article by Melissa Hart.

Editors’ Notes: Memoir—What Is It? (Candida Lawrence)

What’s With the “(and)”? (Joan E. Chapman)

kaz comments on Transpiration

kaz — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:37:35 GMT

I've come back to this poem several times and it always strikes true. It's a powerful piece.

INSIDE VOLUME 2 NO. 1

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:18:45 GMT

INSIDE VOLUME 1 NO. 3

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:18:22 GMT

MEMOIR (AND) CREATIVE NONFICTION

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

RAFAEL TORCH
The Naming of Frank Torch

POETRY

DENA TAYLOR
Fire Season

DARIEN CAVANAUGH
A Small But Pleasant Light

LIANNE SPIDEL
Lea at Ninety-Five
16MM Movie, Florida, 1938

ROCHELLE JEWEL SHAPIRO
Barbara Just Home From the Ashram

JESSICA GRUMET
Rattlesnake Road

VALERIE BENDER
Never Sang

PROSE

KATHY CHETKOVICH
How I See It

ZOE BORKOWSKI
Some Things I Will Never Forget Are…

ROBERT WEINBERGER
The Year of Living Nervously

JILL WIDNER
Aquarium of the Night

ROBERT HAMBLING DAVIS
A Captive Audience

INGEBORG GUBLER CASEY
Hiding 1946-47

ANNE MASLIN DORST
My Sister

GLEN WOOD
The Road to Bonnaroo

KYLE DEACON
Voice Messages

WILL GEORGE
A Glass of Water

BEST GRAPHIC MEMOIR

KELLY CLANCY
Silence

INSIDE VOLUME 2 NO. 2

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:14:06 GMT

GRAND PRIZE FOR MEMOIR IN PROSE OR POETRY

CINTHIA RITCHIE
Pig Road

SECOND PRIZE FOR MEMOIR IN PROSE OR POETRY

MARCIA S. POPP
what my father did and did not bring home in 1943

THIRD PRIZE FOR MEMOIR IN PROSE OR POETRY

LIANE KUPFERBERG CARTER
Love is Like This

POETRY

CHRISTOPHER LOCKE
The One Year

RICHARD FENTON SEDERSTROM
Work-Up

ANDREA L. WATSON
Ghost Ranch with Stick Figure and Stars

SETH COURTNEY SIEGEL
Louisiana

KATIE CAPPELLO
Lesson for Tony, 1989

JANET SYLVESTER
Blue Dress Video

CHARLES RUTTER
Flannel

DIANNE BILYAK
Town

ZACHARY KLUCKMAN
Little Red Fire Truck to the Rescue

TENDAI R. MWANAKA
That Child, from “Bloodlines, Bile and a Crying Child”

JUVENILE YOUTH OFFENDERS
Excerpt from “Memoir, a Noun: Volume 1: Keep My Shine”

DONALD ILLICH
A Circle

PROSE

ZAHIE EL KOURI
The Convention

PAUL LINDHOLDT
Magpie in the Window

AMBER ROSSINO
1974

BERNIE STRITZKE
A Sparrow Falls

RUSSELL REECE
Game Face

JOSE ANTONIO RODRIGUEZ
Eyes Down/Shoulders In: The Small Revolutions

DAVID ROMPF
In Mr. Hyoshi’s Building

NATALIE BROWN
You Throw Sand Against the Wind

SCOTT EUBANKS
Windbreaks of Eucalyptus Trees

IRENE MCKINNEY
Marginalia: Windows and Bones

PRIZE FOR BEST GRAPHIC MEMOIR

MARGUERITE DABAIE
The Making of a Woman Terrorist

Memoir, a Noun: Voices from Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:10:50 GMT

Current Issue
Volume 3: Stunt as a Bumble Bee
Single Issue: $3

I remember the time when you was strong and healthy,
dressed to impress, but also stunt as a bumble bee.
Giving me life, learning, lecture
so I could think about my future.
But as days, months, years go by,
you started feeling weak.
Then ended up getting sick.
Then sicker.
That’s when reality hit me.

–Excerpt from the poem “First I Cry” written by Ulala

Volume 2: While I Bleed in This Page
Single Issue: $3

My life used to be good. I don’t know what happened, just every one
started dying and people started lying, and I just keep all my anger
trapped inside me like a Siberian tiger in a cage, just wanting for
somebody to let me out so I can bounce on my prey.

I refuse to be at the bottom o’ the food chain, so I just lay low not
because of fear but just to get a better aim, I’m just in this cage waiting…

–Excerpt from an untitled poem written by Young Fee

Volume 1: Keep My Shine
Single Issue: $3

Memoir…
A noun, an autobiography, an account
of something noteworthy.
Memorabilia…
A noun, something worthy of remembrance.
My experience in juvenile hall…
A verb, fast paced, consistent, repetitive.
On-going.
Depressing, when surrounded by a group of guys who do not have
the same purpose
in life as you…
to succeed…

–Excerpt from the poem “Memoir” written by Dante

Back Issues

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:10:09 GMT

Spring and Summer 2009
Volume 2 | Number 1
Single Issue: $12

Grand Prize Winner: Jess Wigent / “What I Did to the Littlest”

“Calm down or you’re not gonna play.” I know he won’t continue to wiggle and risk exclusion. I’m right. While Oklahoma’s winter winds plead against the windows, he is quiet. He awaits instruction. “We are playing Slap the Face.” He looks confused. “I’ll go first,” I continue. He looks a tiny bit terrified.

–Excerpt from “What I Did to the Littlest” by Spring/Summer 2009 Grand Prize Winner Jess Wigent

Prose: J. Malcolm Garcia / “For Now You Are Here”
Poetry: Anemone Beaulier / “Postcards”
Photography: Political Narratives / “Protests and Riots”
Graphic Memoir: Dan Archer / “They Won’t Learn”

Additional Contributors Include:
Nin Andrews, Dan Archer, Anemone Beaulier, Louisa Billeter, James Warren Boyd, Peer Brockhoefer, Veronica Chater, Avery Colt, Angela Coppola, Genie Cotner, Steve Crane, Brian Cronwall, Teresa Chuc Dowell, Ralph Dranow, Renee Emerson, Muriel Fish, Ray Fudge, Jeff Galasso, J. Malcolm Garcia, Richard Gilbert, Deb Hall, Danny Hammontree, Steev Hise, Lacy M. Johnson, Laura Jones, Brian Kusler, Eric David Lough, Greg Majewski, Rob McKnight, Joe Newman, Thuy Nguyen, Pam O’Brian, JoAnne Preiser, Carl Rosenstock, Brendan Scherer, Jo Scott-Coe, Madeline Sharples, Teresa Sutton, vanou, Jess Wigent, Edward Frederick Wong

Fall and Winter 2008
Volume 1 | Number 3
Single Issue: $12

Grand Prize Winner: Rafael Torch / “The Naming of Frank Torch”

At the bottom, the name is all the gestures he has in him and presents to the world. Who is this man, at root, to go so carelessly into the New World with this new name? The title seems to have reconciled a silent deal that was made at Ellis Island. It was the last balance to be transferred. You agreed, Frank Torch. You walked away from the inspection desk and into Manhattan with it. You wandered into the Lower West Side with it among other peoples, tall buildings, small crowded streets. Frank Torch fit all the possibilities of the here and now.

–Excerpt from “The Naming of Frank Torch” by Fall/Winter 2008 Grand Prize Winner Rafael Torch

Best Graphic Memoir: Kelly Clancy / “Silence”
Poetry: Dena Taylor / “Fire Season”
Prose: Kathy Chetkovich / “How I See It”
Art: Rune Spaans / Frozen Statues

Additional Contributors:
John Battenberg, David Campbell, Glenn Harper, Esther Silva, Peter J. Pochylski, Rune Spaans, Robert Edward Stokley III, Gladstone Taylor, Dena Taylor, Darien Cavanaugh, Lianne Spidel, Rochelle Jewell Shapiro, Jessica Grumet, Valerie Bender, Kathy Chetkovich, Zoe Borkowski, Robert Weinberger, Jill Widner, Robert Hambling Davis, Ingeborg Gubler Casey, Anne Maslin Dorst, Glen Wood, Kyle Deacon, Will George, Kelly Clancy, Crystal Freeman, Chris Gladis, Jill Greenseth, Robert Huyser, Dorothea Lange, Valerie Lauffer, Lesley Middlemass, Michael O’ Reilly, Rafeal Torch, Mark Wilson

Summer 2008
Volume 1 | Number 2
Single Issue: $12

Special Double Issue: Two Grand Prize Winners!
Fall 2007 Grand Prize Contest Winner: John Philipp / “Ginne-After, Despite, Because”
Spring 2008 Grand Prize Contest Winner: Nancy Penrose / “The Warp of Memory”

After she stepped onto the health club patio and commented “It’s less windy out here,” after I lowered the book and my eyes walked up long tan legs that wouldn’t quit, after we talked for thirty minutes and then left to attend to things-we-had-to-do-today, after she called two hours later and said the hell with her client did I want to take a ride, after we spent the rest of the day in Sonoma driving, walking, talking, after we sat outside the Kenwood restaurant surrounded by beautiful baby mountains that sloped into green-graped acres, after we nibbled on brochetta, cheese, and pate, sipped chardonnays, merlots and cabernets, after we spoke of vineyards and vintages, mountain lions and Mexican laborers, past hells and future hopes, after I gently kissed her good night and worried all next week working in Chicago she wouldn’t feel the same when I got back…

–Excerpt from “Ginne-After, Despite, Because” written by Fall 2007 Grand Prize Winner John Philipp

I am returning to Laos. It is 1993. I lived here as a child, a ten-year-old transplant from an Oregon farm. It was 1963. As the wing of the plane dips right, I press my head against the window. I see the silver snake of the Mekong, see rice fields of dry gold, see coconut palms that cluster near villages, see roads of burnt orange. I am home.

–Excerpt from “The Warp of Memory” written by Spring 2008 Grand Prize Winner Nancy Penrose.

Additional Contributors:
Eddie Bell, Sally Bellerose, Karen Benke, Yvonne Cannon, Linda Coleman, Richard Costello, Rachel Dacus, Frances Pettey Davis, Sally Lipton Derringer, Glenn Deutsch, Marshall D. Dury, Anne Matlack Evans, CB Follett, Diane Gage, James Randolph Jordan, Candida Lawrence, Scott Lucero, Maude Meehan, Gordon McAlpin, M. B. McLatchey, Bonnie J. Morris, Mariah Burton Nelson, Mariluz Otero, Nancy Penrose, John Philipp, Danny Rosen, Bonnie Singer, Anne Warren Smith, David Tippetts, Andrew Young, Joy Wilson-Young, Zayra Yves, Sebastian Barre, John G. Crosslin, Dawid Kot, Carolina A. Miranda

Inaugural Issue
Volume 1 | Number 1
Single Issue: $12

Inaugural Issue Grand Prize Winner: Candy B.K. Schille / “The Thread of God”

When I was a toddler, I used to gather minute pieces of lint off the front lawn and bring them to my father, who would happily stuff them in his navel. I know this is true, because I’ve seen it on home movies: Me, pudgy, intent, butt-up in the green grass, retrieving something too small for the camera to record; him in a lounge chair, seeming to examine it, tucking it into his navel, and giving me a big grin. Well, some of us are Daddy’s girls or aspire to be, and if lint was what it took, lint it would be.

–Excerpt from “The Thread of God” written by Inaugural Issue Grand Prize Winner Candy B.K. Schille

Additional Contributors:
Candy B.K. Schille, Sharon Fain, Kate Falvey, Ellen Bass, Joseph A. Farina, Jennifer Noble, Peter D. Goodwin, Ken Pobo, Laura Rose, Scott Lucero, Katherine Kindred, Robert Weinberger, Karen Weil, Salvatore Difalco, Kristi Gedeon, Ruthann Robson, Gary Osterman, Sheridan V. “Dan” Merritt, Martha Christina, Ellen Treen, Gretchen Butler, Bradley Littlejohn, Candida Lawrence, Emily Hawthorne, Mallory Geitheim, A.J. Waterbourne

Current Issue

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:08:53 GMT

Fall and Winter 2009
Volume 2 | Number 2
Grand Prize Winner: Cinthia Ritchie / “Pig Road”

Things started to fall apart the year the girl was murdered up on Pig Road, little more than a rutted trail, and along it the charred remains of a pig farm that had burned down so many years before that no one remembered. My sisters and I played there, among the ruins, inside the blackened cement foundation, digging around for treasures: canning jars, leather shoes, pieces of cloth we folded and stuck in our pockets.

The rest of the road was undeveloped; woods on one side, marsh on the other. The air was heavy with a rot that made us feel drunk as we ran through the weeds, our legs scratched and bitten beneath the cheap shorts we wore.

Excerpt from “Pig Road” by Fall and Winter 2009 Grand Prize Winner Cinthia Ritchie

Second Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry:
Marcia S. Popp / “what my father did and did not bring home in 1943”
Third Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry:
Liane Kupferberg Carter / “Love is Like This”
Prize for Graphic Memoir:
Marguerite Dabaie / “The Making of a Woman Terrorist”
Photography: Twenty Artists Stand Alone

Additional Contributors Include:
James Arnold, Dianne Bilyak, Natalie Brown, Mauro Criscenti Bull, Katie Cappello, Mauricio Alcaraz Carbia, Liane Kupferberg Carter, Kim Chau, Jeffrey Clarke, Marguerite Dabaie, Nhung Dang, Dante, Dillon, Anna Donlan, Zahie El Kouri, Scott Eubanks, Emily Ganus, Donald Illich, Benjamin Kaplin, Zachary Kluckman, Lucy Lambriex, Paul Lindholdt, Christopher Locke, Irene McKinney, Mary-Anne McNeney, Melthon, Tendai R. Mwanaka, Alberto Nolazco, Ken Paquette, Eric Parey, Matthew D. Penning, Marcia S. Popp, Rambo Rob, Russell Reece, Cinthia Ritchie, Jose Antonio Rodriguez, David Rompf, Amber Rossino, Afiq Rostam, Charles Rutter, Jeroen Schoonderbeek, Richard Fenton Sederstrom, Seth Courtney Siegel, Bernie Stritzke, $ucka Free, Janet Sylvester, Allen Tunget, Tiffany S. Wallace, Andrea L. Watson, Johnson Wong.

To pay by credit card:

Two Years (4 issues): $39

One Year (2 issues): $20

Single Issue: $12

$5 off when you renew for one year, and $10 off when you renew for a two-year subscription.
Save when you renew…please click here to renew your subscription.

Gift Subscriptions are also available.

To pay by check or money order, mail payment to:
Memoir (and), PO Box 1398, Sausalito, CA 94966-1398.

Library and Institution Information:
Order Information: EBSCO # 563-732-810
Single: $15 One-Year: $25 Two-Year $45
Frequency: 2x/yr, Spring and Fall
Contact: Joan E. Chapman
Phone: 415.339.4130 Fax: 415.339.4136
E-mail: jec@memoirjournal.com

Reading Period

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:07:07 GMT

Dear Writers, Poets, Artists, Photographers, and Readers,

Memoir (and) is now open for submissions!

Mark your calendars. This reading period–for works destined for publication in the Fall+Winter 2010 Issue–runs from November 1, 2009 to midnight February 15, 2010. Snail mail submissions must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2010 in order to be considered.

Questions, comments or ideas? Please email submissions [at] memoirjournal com or drop us a line at 415.339.3142.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

The Editors

What We Do

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:01:10 GMT

Memoir Journal publishes the literary journal Memoir (and), and new periodical series Memoir, A Noun. We are expanding our outreach efforts through the programmatic development of The (in)Visible Memoir Project which generates the content for publication series.

The essence of memoir is that everyone has a distinct and compelling story to tell. By publishing a diverse set of the finest and most compelling works, Memoir Journal is helping to build a collective sense of community through the art of storytelling. Memoir Journal’s mission is to encourage the perception that the landscape of memoir writing is changing—in form and expression—and that our readers and writers are at the leading edge of this exciting genre. We are humbled by the tremendous support our organization has received from the writing and arts community, and grateful to have you, reader, on this wonderful journey.

Contest Winners

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:58:53 GMT

Fall and Winter 2009
Volume 2 | Number 2
Grand Prize Winner: Cinthia Ritchie / “Pig Road”

Cinthia Ritchie lives in Alaska, where she works as a journalist to support her poetry habit. She’s a Pushcart Prize nominee and recipient of a Rasmuson Foundation fellowship, Alaska State Council on the Arts fellowship and has completed residencies at Hedgebrook and Hidden River Arts. Her poetry and prose can be found in New York Magazine, Water-Stone Review, Under the Sun, Rainbow Curve, Slow Trains, Stirrings, Wicked Alice, PMS poemmemoirstory, and the anthology Women of the Web. She’s working on a novel, when she isn’t out running in the mountains

Second Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry:
Marcia S. Popp / “what my father did and did not bring home in 1943”

Marcia is a retired university professor and the author of several textbooks and biographies. Her first book of poetry, comfort in small rooms, was published this year by Black Zinnias Press. The title poem from the book received the 2008 Robert Greer Cohn Prose Poetry Award, while “strike up the band”, another poem from the collection, was selected by poet laureate Mark Strand for Best New Poets 2008. Other poetry has appeared in Avocet, A Journal of Nature Poems.

Third Prize for Memoir in Prose or Poetry:
Liane Kupferberg Carter / “Love is Like This”

Liane Kupferberg Carter has been published in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Child, McCall’s, The Westchester Review, Sotto Voce, and Mom Writer’s Literary Magazine, and is forthcoming in Literary Mama. She is working on an essay collection, Making Music Anyway: Raising a Child with Autism. She lives in New York, where she is a community activist on behalf of children with special needs.

Prize for Graphic Memoir:
Marguerite Dabaie / “The Making of a Woman Terrorist”

Marguerite Dabaie is a Palestinian-American raised in San Francisco on dolmas and hummous but also on manga and cheesy movies. She attended the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and while there won two grants to create The Hookah Girl, a series of graphic novels about her experiences growing up as an Arab American. The featured story in Memoir (and): Volume 2, Number 2 is an excerpt from that book. She currently lives in Brooklyn. http://hookah-girl.margoyle.net

Outreach

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:56:28 GMT

Today’s economy of celebrity is a threat to the heterogeneity of personal narratives. The mission of The (in)Visible Memoir Project is to publish—make visible—the diversity of individual stories, highlighting those outside the cultural status quo. The Project serves people of all ages and backgrounds, and encourages them to express their unique voice, gain confidence with written and non-textual narratives, discover new value in artistic expression—and see their efforts in print: Memoir Journal’s new periodical, Memoir, a Noun.

The (in)Visible Memoir Project began as a writing workshop held at Woodside’s Juvenile Justice Facility in San Francisco. The program was developed by Kathy Guis, a former Memoir Journal Editor, and Rose Tully, a San Francisco-based writer and teacher. Incarcerated youth attended a series of writing workshops, and their memoirs were published in the inaugural issue of Memoir, a Noun, Volume 1: Keep My Shine. To download a free PDF of Memoir, a Noun: Volume 1, click here.

Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Memoir, a Noun are already available for purchase in Bay Area stores and on our website. Volume 4 is on the way. All proceeds from publication sales help fund this important work and develop future outreach initiatives. Rose Tully and Megan Mercurio, an English teacher at Woodside, are currently finishing Volume 4, an issue focused exclusively on young women and girls in the juvenile justice system.

The (in)Visible Memoir Project has seen tremendous growth over this last year. This year, Memoir Journal will expand the reach of these memoir writing workshops to serve other “invisible” communities. If you would like to work with us or if you would like to suggest a group that would benefit from our program, call: 415.339.3142 or drop an email: jyarris [at] memoirjournal com

Intern Program

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:55:32 GMT

Who We Are
Memoir (and) is an up-and-coming literary magazine formed to explore and support memoir as “the” genre of the 21st century. It’s available in print in over 700 bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, including Borders, Barnes and Noble and independent bookstores. Memoir (and) is published by Memoir Journal, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Sausalito, California.

We strive with each issue to include a selection of prose, poetry, graphic memoirs, epistolary memoirs, narrative photography, lies and more … We particularly invite submissions that push the boundaries of traditional form and content in the exploration of the representation of self. We also just love a memoir well told. With each issue, Memoir (and) holds two contests that award cash prizes, The Memoir (and) Prize for Creative Nonfiction, and The Memoir (and) Prize for Graphic Memoir.

Internship
Memoir (and) offers college students and recent college graduates an opportunity to participate in many aspects of literary publishing, including editorial, production, and administration. We require a minimum commitment of five hours a week and a consistent schedule. The internship is unpaid, but we offer a one-year subscription to the magazine and assistance in converting the experience to university credit.

There are two internships offered:

1. Onsite
Intern responsibilities include:
• Reading and critiquing submissions
• Assisting with circulation, subscription fulfillment and general maintenance
• Assisting with website maintenance and development

2. Offsite
Intern responsibilities include:
• Reading and critiquing submissions
• Web-based submission and subscription promotion

Please e-mail a cover letter and resume to Joan E. Chapman, Managing Editor, at jec [at] memoirjournal [dot] com. Please put “Internship Application from [your name]” in the subject header.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Joan E. Chapman
Managing Editor

Reader Program

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:54:25 GMT

If you love to read, email Managing Editor Joan E. Chapman—we may have a job for you! Our Reader program presents an engaging opportunity for you to help us succeed in our mission to publish the highest quality memoirs from emerging and established authors. Memoir Journal utilizes a “blind reading” submissions process to ensure unbiased evaluations from our qualified readers and judges. It is imperative to Memoir Journal that equal opportunity be given to all submitters.

Our reader volunteers use an online portal to review submissions, so you can work at home or in a favorite cafe—any location that has internet access. We do request a commitment to reading a certain amount of submissions on a regular basis, but it can be as little as four submissions per week, if that is what your schedule permits.

If it sounds like we are speaking to you, please call or email today and confirm your interest: 415.339.4130 or jec [at] memoirjournal com

Press

Memoir (and) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:53:26 GMT

Download our press kit here.

If you would like a copy of Memoir (and) to review or recommend, or for more information about our organization, please contact Jessica Yarris at 415.339.3142 or drop an email: jyarris [at] gmail com and she will be happy to talk to you at length and answer any questions you may have and perhaps answer some questions you didn’t know you had, as well.

Frances Caballo comments on Recovering Teacher

Frances Caballo — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 09:46:09 GMT

Haven't we all known someone like Mr. Webb? This was a beautifully written, deep piece with amazing detail. Kudos to the writer!

8.16.09 Reading Period for Spring+Summer 2010 Issue Now Closed.

Memoir (and) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:47:03 GMT

UPDATE AUGUST 16, 2009

READING PERIOD MAY 1 THROUGH AUGUST 15 IS NOW CLOSED

The reading period for Memoir (and)’s Spring+Summer 2010 Issue is now closed. Many thanks to everyone who submitted their work! We have lots of reading to do, and will announce the four prize winners on January 15, 2010. All those who submitted work during this reading period will be notified of the status of their submission by January 15, 2010 at the latest.

The Submission Manager is still available to anyone with an existing account; sign in as usual if you want to update your account information.

WHEN IS OUR NEXT READING PERIOD?

Mark your calendars: our next reading period–for works eligible for the Fall+Winter 2010 Issue Prizes–will open November 1, 2009 and close at midnight February 15, 2010. Snail mail submissions must be postmarked no later than February 15, 2010 in order to be considered.

8.10.09 Spring+Summer 2010 Submission Deadline Approaching THIS WEEK!

Memoir (and) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:00:55 GMT

Do not miss your chance to submit!

To all submitters who have yet to submit, please take note that the final deadline for all submissions is this Saturday, August 15, by midnight PDT.

If you are submitting via snail-mail, your submission must be postmarked on or before this date.

For more submission guidelines and information, please click here.

Thank you for your contributions, and happy writing!

Terri French comments on White Trash Primer

Terri French — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:21:00 GMT

I too enjoyed this immensely. The long sentence length worked well with this piece, keeping the momentum going. The voice was authentic. I grew up in Michigan, but have lived in the South for over 20 years, whether you are from the South or not I do not know, but this piece definitely has that vibe. Well done.

Zachary J. George comments on For Now You Are Here

Zachary J. George — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:05:59 GMT

This is writing that matters. Thank you for your insight into a world I may not otherwise see. I am trying to do the same thing with experiences I had in SE Asia. I only hope to come near providing the compassion and love that you passed on to this reader. Best to you.

Zach

Lavern comments on Transpiration

Lavern — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:29:38 GMT

Brilliant - absolutely!

Lavern comments on What I Did to the Littlest

Lavern — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 12:28:35 GMT

Ouch!

I loved this...

...Yet, it made me sick to my stomach!

Helen O'Neil comments on Recovering Teacher

Helen O'Neil — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:32:54 GMT

The above comment is mine. I misunderstood who the 'author' is.

I loved this story and could see the teacher very clearly, almost into his heart.

The greatest thing that ever happened to me as a teacher came about one afternoon, when I wandered into a florist shop after work. The girl behind the counter was Sarah, who had been in my seventh grade class. She had entered the grade mid-year, having just immigrated from Armenia.

It was such fun catching up with her that day in the flower shop. She told me she was in college and seemed to be doing so well. She wrapped up the daisies and when I took out my wallet to pay, she said'Oh,no, Ms. O'Neil. I don't want you to pay. Remember, you gave me your own personal workbook?'

I remembered that there had been no workbooks left. I also remebered I didn't want to give her mine but felt asking another student to share would have made Sarah's adjustment to a new school, within a new culture even harder. I sensed she had to feel as autonomous as possible.

I enjoyed those flowers so much and felt happy that all those years before I had made a kind and wise decision for someone. I hope the teacher in the article came to see what he had done for others, at least some of them. I hope those students who appreciated him told him so or, if they didn't, that they tell someone else, who's still around, what they mean to them.

Jo Scott-Coe comments on Recovering Teacher

Jo Scott-Coe — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 12:14:20 GMT

Such a sad story of decline but I related, as a former teacher, to the indignities suffered upon sensitive, intelligent souls. As they say in AA, 'alcohol is but a symptom.'

Kamille Jennings comments on Postcards

Kamille Jennings — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:43:53 GMT

This poem is beautiful. I love the journey you take us on. Stellar!

6.15.09 Fall+Winter 2009 Contest Winners Revealed!

Memoir (and) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:44:02 GMT

Thanks Go Out to All Who Submitted!

A mountain of prose and poetry piled into our office during this reading period, and it was difficult to make selections from so many wonderful submissions. We send our gratitude to each and every one of you who submitted. Memoirs are based in personal experience, and as we pored through your pages, we were repeatedly astonished by your harrowing adventures, your family tragedies, your loves, victories and pleasures.

Thanks, also, to our wonderful readers–many of you are professors or writing teachers and have busy schedules–because without you we’d still be reading. And reading...But after everything was read, we finally chose the winners of the Memoir (and) Fall+Winter 2009 Contests:

Congratulations to Cinthia Ritchie, Marcia Popp, Liane Kupferberg Carter and Marguerite Dabaie! We are very proud to publish your outstanding works in our upcoming issue.

Frances Mancuso Durler comments on Transpiration

Frances Mancuso Durler — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 05:30:47 GMT

Regarding poem Transpiration by Teresa Sutton - Such a powerful ending to this poem, coupled with the memory of wild blueberries. Excellent flow of stanzas, ending a surprise. Thank you

5.20.09 Visit Your Local Book Merchant and Support a Great Cause

Memoir (and) — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:26:06 GMT

Memoir, a Noun, Vol. 1: Keep My Shine now available in Bay Area stores

Our new book, the result of a memoir-writing workshop at Woodside Learning Center, a San Francisco juvenile justice facility, is now available for $3 in Bay Area bookstores (locations listed below). All proceeds will go toward designing and executing new programs to introduce memoir writing to traditionally under-published groups, so please help support a great cause.

For those not in the Bay Area, Memoir, a Noun, Vol. 1 is also available for purchase on our Order/Subscribe page.

Eugene G. Schwartz comments on White Trash Primer

Eugene G. Schwartz — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:39:03 GMT

This is a beautifully driven narrative driven by its authenticity, wonderful descriptive detail, acceptance of life as it comes, and the writer's life affirming and forward-looking spirit. She makes a spare and simple circumstance rich with possibility.

I started reading while browsing the site and couldnt stop till I got to the end.

4.26.09 Detained Youth Speak through Their Memoirs

Memoir (and) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:56:32 GMT

Memoir (and) publishes Memoir, a Noun, Vol. 1: Keep my Shine

For the past six weeks, our Associate Editor, Kathy Guis, and San Francisco State University MFA student Rose Tully have taught memoir writing to a group of young men detained at Woodside Learning Center in San Francisco. Now, the young men’s perceptive, surprising, and intimate short memoirs are available in book form, titled Memoir, a Noun, Vol. 1: Keep my Shine.

The 44-page staple-bound book is available for $3 on the Order/Subscribe page of this website. All proceeds go toward our continuing efforts to teach memoir writing and publish the memoirs of marginalized people like the detainees at Woodside.

Kristine Bruneau comments on Flea Spit

Kristine Bruneau — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:45:58 GMT

It was such an emotional rollercoaster of a story that I smiled, chuckled, gasped in fear, and at the end I cried.

Kathleen Melton comments on Recovering Teacher

Kathleen Melton — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 19:07:15 GMT

Mr. Webb remains one of my favorite High School memories and teachers. I am grateful for having been in his Latin class for two years, and to you for this beautiful memoir of a man I, and many others, have always remembered, perhaps too late.

Stacy Davies comments on Recovering Teacher

Stacy Davies — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:41:01 GMT

WOW. This is an amazing piece - exceptionally written and so very moving. Wonderful.

Piccone comments on Macar

Piccone — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:24:32 GMT

This was my favorite out of all the poetry!

klaudia oliver comments on About the Cover

klaudia oliver — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:16:33 GMT

Superb photo Deb! I've been a fan of your both your fotos and your writings on mexican culture. THanks for the many contributions you have given to PortalSanMiguel.com and Inside/Dentro Mag.

RESPECT!!!

Klaudia

3.10.09 About Our Small Press Month Event

Memoir (and) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:13:32 GMT

Celebration of Small Press Month at the Depot

Bookstore & Café!

A hearty round of thanks to all who attended last Friday’s Small Press Month event, “The Evolution of Independent Lit Mags: A Panel Discussion with Readings.”

Appetizers began at 6:30, and by 7:00 the place was packed.

Then began an evening of readings and discussion focused on the contributions of literary journals and writers, past and present.

Warmest regards to panelists Hugh Behm-Steinberg, Howard Junker, Doris Ober and Madeleine Corson, as well as readers Nancy Kelly and Eve Pell, for sharing their insight, experience and wit. The Bay Area is brighter for your efforts.

3.3.09 Writing Project in Juvenile Rehabilitation Center

Memoir (and) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 13:24:00 GMT

Memoir (and) Teaches Creative Writing to Incarcerated Youth

We’re thrilled to announce that today marks the beginning of our first Memoir Writing Project! Our associate editor Kathy Guis and fabulous former intern Rose Tully will teach a weekly creative writing class for incarcerated youth at the Woodside Learning Center in San Francisco. Each week, we’ll work on a different creative writing exercise to introduce the kids to various modes of self-expression and (we hope!) equip them to record their memoirs. Our sincere thanks go out to the dedicated teachers and administrators who made this project possible—they are San Francisco’s finest. We’ll compile a book of the students’ work at the end of the six-week class, so stay tuned!

2.18.09 Small Press Month Event Announcement

Memoir (and) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Won’t You Join Us?

Celebrate Small Press Month with an eclectic array of Bay Area literary journals!

On Thursday, March 5, Memoir (and) will host “The Evolution of Independent Lit Mags: A Panel Discussion with Readings.”

Enjoy a literary tasting course as readers representing each journal highlight the diversity of voices present in the local publishing community.

Then, participate in a Q&A-style panel discussion with editors Hugh Behm-Steinberg of Eleven Eleven; Doris Ober and Madeleine Corson of West Marin Review; Howard Junker of ZYZZYVA; and our own Candida Lawrence and Joan E. Chapman.

Topics will include: the changing Bay Area literary scene and what makes it unique; adapting literary journals to the internet era; the challenges of starting and maintaining literary journals in today’s marketplace; and the impact of the current economic climate on literary journals.

See you there!

WHEN: 6:30 – 7:00: Reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres
7:00 – 8:30: Readings and panel discussion

WHERE: Depot Bookstore and Café
   87 Throckmorton Avenue
   Mill Valley, CA
   DIRECTIONS

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11.1.09 New Memoir (and) Submission and Contest Period Opens Today!

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Limited time to read Fall+Winter 2009 Issue online!

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Do not miss your chance to submit!

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