Memoir Writing

There are a lot of reasons to write a memoir, or autobiography, not the least of which is the possibility that details of events will be forgotten or changed over time, the line between fact and memory becoming less distinct as the years go by.

Memories pile up year after year like boxes of unsorted photos. A few of the benefits of writing your memoirs include:

1. Storytelling is a lovely life-skill. Once you get the knack of telling stories about yourself, you’ll learn to organize and communicate all your thoughts more clearly.
   
   
2. Writing about your life lets you share ideas and lessons. Your knowledge and wisdom can help others grow along with you. Writing forces us to think and rethink about our past and present surroundings, the people around us, relationships, and occasions that seemed ordinary at the time, but make our lives extraordinary.
   
   
3. Writing about your life helps dissolve the hard knots of loss, betrayal, regret, and guilt that keep you stuck in the past despite your best efforts to forget. It causes you to record certain events or dramas in your life that may be of value to others.
   
   
4. Writing is a challenging mental activity, and research shows that challenging yourself mentally improves your mental agility and stamina. And, you will be describing – or perhaps explaining – things the way you want them to be recorded.
   
   
5. In a crowd of people it’s natural to wonder “Why should anyone read about my life?” And that’s the best reason to write it. As you sort out the details of your actual path, and look for what makes your journey worth reading, you will incidentally also reveal what makes it worth living. You are providing evidence of aspects of your life that individually will be useful and interesting to your readers, but collectively, will be useful to history.
   
   
6. You can take Jacquie McTaggart’s workshop, The Memoir Project, for free at the library! The first class was this morning, but there are five more workshops that meet Monday morning at 10:00-11:30 am through May 11. This is Jacquie’s third time leading the class at IPL. It is free thanks to the Independence Hotel/Motel Tax Grant. All sessions are self-contained, so no worries if you miss a class.

Dig Into The Past at The IPL

Patrons at the Independence Public Library are enjoying the fourth week of Jacquie McTaggart's Memoir Project. If you're still interested, it's not too late. There are two weeks left, and we've added an afternoon session. This week's afternoon session starts at 4:00 PM (September 22nd) Every week after will begin at 1:30 PM. It's never too late to register, just give us a call at 334-2470 or send us an e-mail.
If you're looking to dig a little farther into the past than your own history, try digging around in your family history. The IPL has some fresh tools and programs to help you out when you stop in.
First up, the Library Edition of Ancestry.com.

You'll find the link to this service on our website.

You must be in the library to access this service, but as long as you are using the IPL's computers or WiFi, Ancestry.com is available to you. You can also use EBSCO Host to search through past newspapers, magazines, and much more. (EBSCO Host can be accessed from home, stop in at the IPL for the login information.)

If you're still a little fuzzy on just how to research your family's history, try one of our up coming Genealogy Classes. (All six classes require individual registration.)

Beginning Genealogy and Using Census Records will be taught by Linda Greethurst on Sept. 27th
Genealogy Software and Internet Genealogy will be taught by Dennis Allen on Oct. 4th
Vital Records and Military Records will be taught by Theresa Liewer on Oct. 25th

Memoirs on Mondays!

Record your history at the Independence Public Library!
Local writer Jacquie McTaggart will launch The Memoir Project in the library’s Community Room at 10:00-11:30 am. This workshop will meet for one and a half hour sessions each week for six weeks, from September 8 to October 13.  The purpose is not to write beautiful prose, but rather to make a written record of the people and events that have shaped our lives.
Register once for all six classes. Each class will be self-contained, so if you miss one you won't be behind.
To Register, stop in at the IPL or give us a call at 334-2470.