[(I Remember)] [Author: Joe Brainyard] published on

by Joe Brainyard

Paperback

Reviews

[Jillian Noble]

i think i'm the first person on goodreads to read this, not giving it a rating because i need to sit with it but it's for my poetry class & technically a reread we don't need to get into that

[Kevin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigrid Nunez (I’m a fan) referenced this book in The Vulnerables and I put it on my to read list. So good and original. It consists of a man sharing memories, fantasies, and views from his childhood/adolescence each starting with “I remember…”. Some just a few words with the longest a few sentences. Beautiful.

(The author’s name is Joe Brainard. Goodreads misspelled it)

[Jordan Steyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the format of this book. Brainard starts every sentence with "I remember..." and goes on to mention something in his past. The mundanity of some entries really resonated with me because they were so simple and got me thinking of my past.

"I remember when I tried out to be a cheerleader and didn't make it." "I remember potato salad." "I remember reading Van Gogh's letters to Theo."

A majority of the entries didn't speak to me, even the subject matter of some of them was so unenjoyable. I was ready to finish the book when I had about 30-pages left. The content is relevant to the time period, but often times unfavorable.

[Joseph Emering · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very original book, and sometimes thought provoking. Didn’t really love it though.

[Dyson Kona · Rating 3 out of 5]

great exercise in jogging memory. very forward in transcribing thoughts and articulating the honest human conscious. cool.

[k-os · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Sigrid Nunez, for bringing this book belatedly to my attention. Will be using it as a creative writing prompt forever!