Born to be a Serial Memoirist

Beverly Donofrio, author of the classic Riding in Cars With Boys as well as the recent Astonished: A Story of Evil, Blessings, Grace, and Solace nicely illuminates the urge to write multiple memoirs in the NY Times Draft column this morning:

I was born to be a serial memoirist: compulsive, self-absorbed, narcissistic, bossy and a know-it-all. I not only gaze at my navel; I gaze at my reflection, about a thousand times a day. I was the girl sitting in front of the mirror in high school, telling my own true stories to myself. Even back then, I believed I could help others by sharing my experiences.

We are all works in progress. Change is inevitable, and I believe it’s meant to help us grow. If I were a tree, the world would look much different from 50 feet than it did from five. I expect to continue to have new insights I feel compelled to share.

You can read her full essay here.