Memoirists might agree that the cost of writing is high. Yet, on the other hand, totally worth the price we pay. Deborah Levy’s book The Cost of Living is notable for its technique, as exemplified in the ambiguity of the title. If the cost of living our lives economically features in every other newspaper headline, then … Continue reading The (Emotional) Cost of Writing
Category: Reviews
Memoir at Adelaide Writers Week
Vicky Laveau Harvie won the 2019 Stella Prize for her memoir, The Erratics. The following year I heard her speak at the closing night of Adelaide Writers' Week. The Erratics is the story of the author's return to her native Canada where her mother has been hospitalized with a broken hip. As an inveterate liar, … Continue reading Memoir at Adelaide Writers Week
Treasure Island
By Robert Louis Stevenson As a memoirist primarily, I didn’t imagine my first review to be about a novel. In delving into the etymology of the term ‘pieces of eight’ for a personal essay I was writing, I became glued to the audio version of Treasure Island, an adventure story presumably intended for children. It … Continue reading Treasure Island
