Annotated Bibliography and New Proposal

New Proposal:

Within the genre of memoir, truth is a theme that is constantly being challenged. Memoirists narrate their lives through memory, while simultaneously referencing metaphor, myth and other mediums outside the “factual” truth of the author’s story, to create a relatable narration of a life or part of a life. In Without a Map, Meredith Hall creates a comprehensible, intimate narration of the past in relation to the present.  In telling her story, she informs the reader, “I believe we are accountable, that what we do stays in the world” (200). She believes that as individuals, we are responsible for our own actions and our own lives. For Hall, it is her responsibility to remember the past; it’s not a choice. Without a Map is her way of holding herself accountable. In writing her life, she begins to answer the “why” and the “how” of not only her parent’s actions, but her own. Even though several moments in the text utilize metaphor, these metaphors reinforce Hall’s truth. Tom Larson, author of The Memoir and the Memoirist, believes “that any writer must hold himself accountable for his memoir. And where else should he do this but in the writing. It seems so obvious. But still, few memoirists understand how co-creative accountability and remembrance can be" (107). Hall is one of those few memoirists who understand this relationship. 


Annotated Bibliography:

Laron, Tom. The memoir and the memoirist. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2007. Print.

Taking a personal approach to the genre of memoir, Larson's book is comprised of multiple chapters which explore memoir in terms of literature, recollection of memory, personal narration, history and culture. While referencing published memoirs as well as published journals of psychology, he speaks to the heart of what he believes memoir is and how it should be critiqued. Specifically, there are a few chapters in this text which focus on the idea of myth-making, truth, and authenticity within memoir. I plan on using these particular chapters and relating them to Hall's memoir, showing how Larson's ideas of truth support Meredith's views on truth.



Eire, Carlos. "Where Falsehoods Dissolve: Memory as History." Tell me True: Memoir, History, and Writing a Life. Eds. Hampl, Patricia and May, Elaine Tyler. Borealis Books, 2008. p. 163-178. Print.

Carlos Eire's essay discusses the reason behind his publishing his memoir. As a native Cuban who now lives in the United States, he is prompted by the controversy over Elian Gonzalez' deportation to write his story, one he feels that very often goes untold. Frustrated with the ways that history portrays Fidel Castro as a hero, he feels the need to set the record straight by bringing forth the horrors of the Cuban Revolution. He believes the memory best serves in terms of history, bringing the big lies into the light and making people realize the truth. While perhaps, on the surface Eire's story may seem unrelated, his belief in the important relationship between truth, history, and memory coincide with Hall's view of the importance of their interrelationship.



Pals, Jennifer L. "Constructing The "Springboard Effect": Casual Connections, Self-Making, and Growth Within the Life Story." Identity and Story: Creating Self in Narrative. Eds. Mcadams, Dan, et al. p. 175-199. Print.

Throughout this essay, Pals explores the psychology behind personal identity and self-making through "casual connections" which is a strategy people use to create a coherent life story, emphasizing that the life is story is a process of interpretation of past events, relationships, etc. and is always in the making. According to Pals, there tend to be three different ways in which people use this idea of "casual connections" to promote or demote personal growth, the most healthy of which is called "The Springboard Effect." "The Springboard Effect" is a process through which an individual willfully allows himself to open his mind to new ways of thinking about past events, so as to productively change his interpretations of his life story and come to a more positive understanding of his life. I will use this essay to show how Hall uses this precise way of thinking in order to come to a more personal understanding of her past in relation to the present, further supporting her idea of truth.



Smith Sidonie and Watson, Julia. Reading Autobiography: A Guide for Interpreting Life Narratives." Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2001. Print.

In this book, both Smith and Watson explore the history of memoir in terms of autobiography criticism, theorizing, historical perspective, and the various types of life narratives that have existed throughout history. They also spend some time analyzing why memoirists utilize certain narrative tools: how and why they use certain types of memory, identity, etc. and what it means. I plan on using this text to explore the ways in which Hall utilizes these tools in her memoir and how they allow her to narrate as story that she believes is truthful.



Rainer, Tristine. "Your Life as Story: Discovering the "New Autobiography" and Writing Memoir as Literature." New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. 1998. Print.

Rainer's book presents a practical guide through which to learn how to write memoir, exploring ways in which a writer can delve into and sift through past memories. While exploring the structure of story telling, as well as her own personal understanding of what a story is, she also examines the idea of truth within the genre. I will use this text to explore who Rainer's idea that there is no one right answer in regards to truth within memoir, further supports Hall's personal narrative as truth.