In my first blog article, I wrote about how I decided to start a self-directed MFA, and how I went about planning the early stages.
Now, I want to share my syllabus with you. Below are all the classes I’ve taken and books I’ve read so far. There’s lots of recommended reading on here for anyone going on their own creative journey.
I’ll be coming back to this blog every few weeks to update it with more stuff along the way!
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Craft Books
These are the books I turn to for guidance on living a creative life, writing memoirs and essays, or finding my way to publication.
The Artists Way, by Julia Cameron
Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Before and After the Book Deal, Courtney Maum
Another friend, Meredith Farley of Medbury, gave me this book for my birthday, and though I’ve only read half of it, it’s had a huge impact on me. Maum gives nothing but real talk about navigating the journey from idea to publication, and the millions of tiny little steps in between. I am patiently waiting to read the second half until after I get the book deal *manifesting*, but I’m so glad I read the first half already.
The Art of the Memoir, Mary Karr
This one feels like required reading, and was recommended to me by several of my teachers. Mary Karr is the queen of memoirs, and probably their biggest fan. There were some very inspiring and useful chapters in here that gave me a lot of encouragement about my own memoir. I could have perhaps done with less of the Nabokov-praise, but otherwise a very enjoyable read.
Still Writing, Dani Shapiro
This is my first exposure to Dani Shapiro, and I can’t wait to finish this one so I can pick up her other memoirs and novels. She’s got an excellent, comforting, intelligent but accessible style, and her words are so encouraging and humanizing. This book of essays is ideal for both non-fiction and fiction writers who want a truthful look at the life of a professional writer. I can’t wait to read her memoir Slow Motion, which she describes in Still Writing, because it sounds a heck of a lot like my own.
Memoirs & Comparative Titles
In addition to reading lots of craft books, I’m working my way through a number of memoirs. I’m choosing these in a search for comparative titles, or “comp titles,” something I’ve learned you need to have when pitching your own memoir. In other words, I want to read memoirs that are inspirational because in some way they resemble the book I’m working on, either in story or style.
In the Dream House, Carmen Maria Machado
This is the memoir for me. Machado takes readers through her experience in an abusive relationship, playing with form and genre in a way no one else can. Each chapter is written in a different “genre” including romance, horror, thrillers, and even a choose-your-own-adventure section. I chose this as my primary comp title, not because I think can emulate Machado’s style (who could??), but because I too want to bend genres, blending horror and comedy as I tell the story of my own queer abusive relationship.
Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner
The other half of my memoir deals with my mother’s death, which is exactly what this beautiful memoir is about. Michelle Zauner, already a famous musician, tells the story of her complicated but loving relationship with her mother, and explores her own trauma and grief in the wake of her death. This book made me so damn hungry.
The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards, Jessica Waite
I heard an interview with Jessica Waite on the Shit No One Tells You About Writing Podcast (highly recommend), and I immediately went and downloaded her audiobook. In this incredibly vulnerable memoir, she tells the story of a horrific discovery she made after her husband died, one that revealed a lot about his true nature. Though I don’t know if I’ll include this as a comp title, it’s a great model of how to reveal information slowly, and how to provide context from personal history to explore a relationship.
Baby Reindeer, Richard Gadd
Though it’s not technically a memoir (or is it), I’m also tapping the incredible short series Baby Reindeer, by Richard Gadd, as one of my comp titles. It tells the story of a failing comedian who meets a lonely woman, who subsequently becomes his stalker. What I like most about it, and what I hope to emulate in my memoir, is the way Gadd portrays himself as a very complicated (and not entirely innocent) party to the stalking, and of course, the blend of humor and horror is right up my alley.
The Velvet Rage, Alan Downs
I only read this book a few months ago, and it has had a profound impact on my life. As soon as I started reading, I knew I’d been going through at least one highlighter before I finished it. As I continued moving through this compelling exploration of what it’s like to go up gay in today’s world, I started texting all of the gay men I know and love and urging them to read it if they hadn’t. Downs’ perspective on the trauma and pain of growing up gay, and how that manifests later in life, has helped me understand important parts of myself that I now can center in my own memoir.
That’s my entire syllabus… so far! I’ll be coming back to this article to update it once I’ve sat my ass down and read some more.
For now, if there’s anything that you think I should add to my list, I’d love to hear about it. Feel free to post it in the comments 👇, or send me an email.
