After reading two-thirds of When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago, I’ve learned new things about memoir writing. There are a few problems I’ve identified that memoir writers might encounter when constructing their memoirs: remembering sufficient detail, creating the careful balance between interpretation of what’s going on and what’s really going on, and deciding how personal they want the story to be.
Some parts of our lives we remember more because of an intense emotion or event and others are cloudier because they weren’t as memorable. It’s best to write about what you know but sometimes memoir writers have to include important details in their stories that they don’t remember - maybe because they were too young or have fading memories. This is where problems arise. In the book I’m reading, the author bases her story on what she remembers. One of the most vivid moments in her memoir, one she spends a lot of time writing about, is closing a dead baby’s eyes so it could go to heaven. “I opened my eyes and let my fingers rest on the baby’s lids and held them there as Nicasia continued her foreign prayer. The baby’s skin was cold. His eyes felt like egg yolks. If I pressed hard, they would pop”(Santiago 147).
The balance between how the author interprets a situation and what actually happens in the situation can make the book more interesting if done correctly or more confusing if done wrong. For example, it would be confusing if the author wrote his/her viewpoint on what happened and didn’t provide background, but it would be interesting if the author combined opinion and fact to engage the reader. Esmeralda Santiago creates a perfect balance of interpretation and fact around the theme of her mother’s repeated pregnancies. At first, she has meager explanation for the phenomenon as a young child. “She was sweaty, her hair stuck to her cheeks and down her neck. She pulled on the rails of the bedstead, as if she were stretching, but her knees were folded up to her belly. ‘What’s the matter, Mami?’ I was scared"(Santiago 16). Later in her childhood, Esmeralda understands more about what’s happening so more explanation is added with interpretation. “‘¡Aye! Ay Dios Mío Santo, ayúdame. ¡Aye!’ Mami was having another baby”(Santiago 57).
Before an author writes a memoir, he or she has to decide how personal they want their story to be, aka how much they want to share. It’s hard for memoir authors to work this out because they want their story to be as close as possible to their experiences but they also might not feel comfortable giving their catalogue of emotions on a platter to be judged by readers. The author of When I Was Puerto Rican writes her book at a very personal level because she feels that it is necessary to deepen the reader’s connection with her life.
I look at memoirs as views into different people’s lives. They teach us lessons and ways to live your life.
When I think about writing a memoir, I’m afraid that I’ll run out of memories to add to my story even after scouring my brain for backup. I’m worried that the story I choose to tell will be too personal or impersonal for my comfort.
I’m still wondering about the creative limits of the start and finish of memoirs. Can the memoir start in the middle of the problem or focus and slowly unravel it? Can the memoir end with the big question or idea still to be solved?
Oh, Sophie. This was such a thoughtful post. You raised significant questions and got me thinking deeply about the challenges of memoir writing. I think you're on to something when you use the word "interpretation." The reason memoir falls under the genre Creative Nonfiction is because it's often a matter of invented memory. For example, most people won't remember the actual dialogue that was spoken 10 years ago, but they can recreate conversation that helps the memoir reveal a deeper truth than mere fact. That's what distinguishes memoir from, say, a news article or even an autobiography. Your questions about the start and finish of memoirs are excellent - I would say that although ultimately the memoir has to have a clear beginning, middle, and end, the structure to that narrative arc can vary. I love the idea of slowly unraveling a situation.
ReplyDelete