The study of memoir is designed to help us make meaning of our lives. In this course we will be reading and writing in the genre of memoir. What is memoir? A memoir is what a person writes when she not only tells a story from her life, but also tries to understand what the story means in light of current knowledge. In other words, you need to entertain the reader with your story and show how you now, looking back on it, understand it.

Suggested Reading List:

The Color of Water by James McBride
I Know Why the Caged Bird by Maya Angelou
This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff
When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
Always Running - La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A. by Luis J. Rodriguez
Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas

Memoir Assignments
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