Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory

by Maureen Murdock

Beginning with the idea that memory is nothing more than "an angle of perception," Murdock explores the recurrent question asked by writers and readers of memoir what actually happened? Prompted by the loss of identity that accompanied her mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s and subsequent lost memories, Murdock offers that perhaps the faithful recording of the past isn’t where the strength of memoir lies. Instead, Murdock looks at the basic components of memoir writing and the process of self-reflection it requires as they bring awareness to the underlying patterns of life. This captivating treatise on the corruptibility of memory, willed identity and the self as reflected through the lens of memoir speaks to all attracted to this most intimate of genres, and provides tools for exploration of the self and soul through personal narrative.

Genres: Writing, Memoir, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Maureen Murdock is an author, educator, Jungian-oriented psychotherapist and photographer. Maureen teaches memoir writing, which she loves, through the Memoir Certificate at Pacifica Graduate Institute, for IWWG (International Women's Writing Guild) and in workshops throughout the US. She was Chair and Core faculty of the MA Counseling Psychology Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara and adjunct faculty in the Depth Psychology Department at Sonoma State University. Murdock blogs about mental illness, addiction and incarceration on her website and participates in Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) as a volunteer at Lompoc Federal Prison.

Reviews

[Connie L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a dense read. I don't mean that it is difficult to understand, it's not. It is often crystalline. Rather, I mean I paused to consider or take in what she said on every page, sometimes every line.
The author talks about memior writing and memory at the same time she is writing a memoir of her journey through/with her mother's loss of memory during her descent into Alzheimer's. What makes us who we are?

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read lots of books about writing memoir. This one has an interesting and unusual structure. The first half of the book is Murdoch’s own memoir of her mother’s deterioration and death from Alzheimer’s, which Murdoch uses to reflect on the unreliable truth of memory when writing memoir. The second half provides helpful tips for writing memoir. Throughout the book, Murdoch quotes from a variety of memoirs that do an excellent job of reinforcing her points, and that have given me a whole new list of memoirs I want to read.

[Josiah Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicate and oddly… true?

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great discussion of the slippery nature of memory and how the underlying myths of our stories relate to memoir writing. References a lot of great memoirs, some that I've read and many that I've added to my list.

[Itisme · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are excerpts of memoir in this book which will make you cry your eyes out. Why? Because good memoir is taking the personal and telling it a way that makes it universal.

Good tips about writing memoir also included.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great insights. I learned a lot about the memoir writing process. There were times I wished she'd quoted other authors less, and included more of her own thoughts.

[L. Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author attempts a memoir and a how-to book in the same volume. I'd have given the book five stars, but felt that the personal memories detracted from the book over all. I like this writer's work, so would have preferred two separate books: one on writing, the other a memoir. I found her personal essays distracting because they didn't seem to advance the work.

[Patricia Hilliard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book for those who are considering writing a memoir. The fact is, memoir is not history, it is not about facts. It is about the way you view the experiences you had and the conclusions you draw from them. The author gives many examples from her own life and encourages the reader to give writing a memoir a try. There's nothing to fear, it's your life from your point of view.