In "Modern American Memoirs", two very discerning writers and readers have selected samples from 35 of the finest memoirs written in this century, including contributions by such diverse writers as Margaret Mead, Malcolm X, Maxine Hong Kingston, Loren Eisely, and Zora Neale Hurston. Chosen for their value as excellent examples of the art of biography as well as for their superb writing, the excerpts present a broad range of American life, and offer vivid insight into the real-life events that shaped their authors. Here, readers can learn about the time when Harry Crews, playing as a boy, fell into a vat of boiling water with a dead hog; Chris Offutt joined the circus and watched a tattooed woman swallow a fluorescent light; and Frank Conroy practiced yo-yo tricks.
Modern American Memoirs is a sampling from 35 quintessential 20th century memoirs, including contributions from Margaret Mead, Malcolm X, Maxine Hong Kingston, Loren Eisely, and Zora Neale Hurston. Supremely written and excellent examples of the art of biography, these excerpts present a beautifully wide range of American life.
This essential collection surveys American history peak by peak, offering deeply personal stories from:
- Classic Memoirs: Experience excerpts from touchstone works like The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Richard Wright's Black Boy, and Zora Neale Hurston's Dust Tracks on a Road.
- A Masterclass in Writing: Discover the art of autobiographical writing through the distinct voices of 35 master storytellers, including editor Annie Dillard.
- Diverse American Voices: Journey from the rural South with Harry Crews to the Saskatchewan plains with Wallace Stegner and the immigrant experience in Kate Simon's Bronx.
- Personal and Historical: Witness the landscape of a changing nation through powerful personal essays that capture the triumphs and struggles of 20th century American life.
"Packed with superb writing". --New York Newsday
"[In] this anthology of well-chosen excerpts by a satisfyingly diverse group of writers....the truth of their lives shines from every beautifully, often courageously composed page". --Booklist
Annie Dillard is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, The Writing Life, The Living and The Maytrees. She is a member of the Academy of Arts and Letters and has received fellowship grants from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.