On the Shelf: Perfection
I’ve never been especially fond of biographies – too long, too detailed and dense. To me, the same is true of autobiographies. However, I’m fascinated by slice-of-life memoirs, especially those written by working writers.
I read my first memoir, Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, more than a year ago. Since then, I’ve read an eclectic mix, including 1 Dead in Attic: After Katrina by Chris Rose; The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton; An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken; and Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott.
Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz, the memoir currently on my nightstand, focuses on the year following Metz's husband’s death, a year filled with painful revelations about the man she loved and thought she knew during their 12-year marriage.
In memoirs, I have found real people living real life with courage, imagination and integrity. I have also been inspired to write personal essays of my own.
I never cease to be amazed by the places I've gone and the things I’ve tried, thanks to the books I’ve read. How about you?
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