When people ask what I write, I usually reply: nonfiction, personal essays, and
memoir. When I describe my current project, I say I’m writing a memoir that
braids leadings about my work with the story of the
two years my family and I lived in a remote mountain village.
Lately, I’ve been reading a craft book by Elizabeth J. Andrew - Writing the Sacred Journey - The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir. My copy looks a little ragged. I’ve turned down corners of about half of the pages with exercises I’ll use in my writing practice. I’ve underlined sections that speak to me, such as Andrew’s belief that “spiritual memoir is a form unto itself…a genre in which one’s life is written with particular attention paid to its mysteries.” She also describes well my experience that “…the writing itself becomes a means for spiritual growth.”
After a break from MFA classes and my job, plus a renewing
family vacation, I’m eager to resume work on my own spiritual memoir. Writing
the Sacred Journey will be a good companion.
"I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality." Frida Kahlo
ReplyDeleteI`m excited to read your next book. Abrazos, Jeni Ali.
Thank you for this. It touched more than I necessarily have easy time to work with.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds interesting. I can seewhether the library will have an e-book version. I am finding myself with a peculiar testimony about refusing to buy things that are only available in print because I cannot read it independently. I KNOW publishing economics are punishing especially for small presses and I am not clear what makes the most helpful path for alternative formats. But I am clear I want to read the book. I am not williing to buy it in print.
Jeni - Thank you for the quote from Frida Kahlo. I just visited her Casa Azul in Mexico City. Inspiring to be within touching distance of her pastels, oils, brushes, and easel.
ReplyDeleteRantWoman, you make a good point about the accessibility of e-books. I hope you can find "Writing the Sacred Journey" in an electronic form.