The “Reality” of Memoir: Delphine de Vigan’s Based on a True Story
Memoirists are not transcriptionists of their pasts, recalling conversations verbatim. They are artists, whose job is to interpret the lived history through an artistic lens.
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memoir
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The Rumpus Book Club Chat with Gabrielle Bell
Gabrielle Bell discusses her forthcoming graphic memoir, Everything Is Flammable, what it was like to mine her own life for subject matter, and how anxiety affects her work.
Allowing a Female to Own Her Genius: Talking with Alana Massey
Alana Massey discusses her debut collection, All the Lives I Want, the best piece of writing advice she's ever received, and acknowledging the work that women do.
Blur, Cross, Pulverize, Confront, Remember: Talking with James Allen Hall
James Allen Hall on I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well, unmaking boundaries, and book titles.
On Making Wishes
It is true that I’m talking to a photo, but I’m not crazy. Neither am I a durochka. Fools are oblivious, at least those from my childhood fairy tales. I, on the other hand, am perfectly aware of the problem.
Only Patricia Lockwood Could Get Away with Priestdaddy
As we know from her poetry, Lockwood’s humor can shape-shift into something else entirely, something quite moving.
This Week in Essays
For Lidia Yuknavitch, the personal is unavoidably political in this piece for Electric Literature. At Catapult, David Frey writes with moving realness on what it is like to watch a parent age and transition…
Visiting Abandoned Places: A Conversation with Kristen Radtke
Kristen Radtke discusses her illustrated memoir Imagine Wanting Only This, working with editors on graphic narratives, and visiting abandoned places.
The Rumpus Mini-Interview Project #79: Kelcey Parker Ervick
The woman whose face appears on the Czech five-hundred koruna doesn’t appear there without consequence. During the late 19th century, politically active Božena Němcová was an innovator of Czech literature.…
This Week in Essays
For the Guardian, Dina Nayeri explores the troubling expectation that immigrants should replace their identity with gratitude. At New York magazine, Bahar Gholipour covers the fine points of dredging up personal history when writing memoir.
This Week in Books: Generation Space: A Love Story
Welcome to This Week in Books, where we highlight books just released by small and independent presses. Books have always been a symbol for and means of spreading knowledge and wisdom,…