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Memoir Lessons from the Barefoot Contessa
Earlier this month I gave my mother the early Christmas present of bringing her to hear celebrity cook Ina Garten (a.k.a. the Barefoot Contessa) talk about her new, bestselling memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. My mother is a huge fan of Garten and her books and television shows, and we both read the memoir before attending this event. Although I had intended this only as a mother-daughter date and not as a work-related event, my editorial ears perked up as I heard Garten reflect on the process of writing her memoir. Here are some takeaways to share:
- In deciding how to tell her life’s story, she focused on making sure that each story or anecdote she related had a main point to share. “Otherwise, who cares!?” she said with a laugh.
- She also shared that she was surprised and gratified to see a pattern emerge in those main points, which all circled back to a central theme of courage and determination and helped the book hang together as a whole.
- When reflecting on her writing process, for her memoir as well as for her cookbooks, she reminded me of Anne Lamott’s advice in Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Garten said she would tackle one recipe, or one anecdote, at a time. “If I had to get up in the morning and think about writing an entire book, I would have given up immediately!” she quipped.
- When asked about her core motivation for writing her memoir, Garten shared about her difficult childhood and said that she wanted to offer readers hope that it is possible to overcome a challenging upbringing.
On this last point, when reading her memoir and listening to her speak, I was struck by how Garten managed to be candid without bitterness, and open rather than excessive. This is the sort of balance my team and I strive to help Modern Memoirs writers achieve when they address challenging life experiences in their books. As our 30th-anniversary year draws to a close, we’re here, ready when the luck of signing our next project happens—might it be yours?
With warm wishes for the holidays,
Megan St. Marie
President
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Megan’s Interview at Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb
by Megan St. Marie
| I was pleased to be interviewed by author Deborah Kalb about a book I published under the Modern Memoirs imprint, White Poppy Press, Read It Again: 70 Whole Book Approach Plans to Help You Shake Up Storytime. I wrote this book under my pen name, Megan Dowd Lambert, which I use for all of my work in the field of children’s literature. This title is ideal for teachers, librarians, and homeschoolers, and you can purchase digital or print copies through our online Shop page. | If you’d like to buy Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens, and support our business in the process, you can purchase it through our affiliate link at Bookshop.org. | |
Gift or Join Our Genealogy Workshop Series!
by Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg
Have you always wanted to investigate your family history but did not know how to begin? Have you become overwhelmed by all of the information available on the internet, or wondered if it is even correct? Or perhaps someone you love feels this way and would like guidance on how to learn more about their family history? Modern Memoirs is here to help with an online workshop series on best practices for conducting genealogical research. The program provides a solid foundation for people who are new to genealogy and offers good reminders of key concepts for those who are more experienced.
Starting Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 6 p.m. EST, Modern Memoirs Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg will lead five weekly, hour-long, live sessions via videoconference to delve into the following topics:
- January 7, Introduction: Seeking the true story—We will talk about what motivates us to do this work, look at a set of core principles to guide us in our research, and review several websites that help us find what we’re looking for.
- January 14, Analyzing Evidence: How do you know what you know?—We will look at how to analyze sources, information, and evidence to help us “prove” our knowledge of family history.
- January 21, Gathering and Organizing Information, Part 1: Be methodical!—We will discuss collecting information we already have and putting it in order. Then, we will begin to conduct searches on the internet and put those findings in order, too.
- January 28, Gathering and Organizing Information, Part 2: Keep being methodical!—We will continue exploring online search techniques and then examine the loads of clues to be mined from census records.
- February 4, Reporting Your Findings: Complete your research and share it with others!—We will conclude with tips on how to report and publish our findings.
COST: $250 per participant (minimum 6 participants)
DATE: Starts Tuesday, January 7, 2025 (for 5 consecutive weeks)
TIME: 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. EST
Please contact Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg (liz@modernmemoirs.com) for more information, or to inquire about how you can bring this series to your site.
To register, or to give the gift of enrollment to someone else, click here.
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Featured Blog Posts by Our Staff | |
A Modern Memoirs Sabbatical
by Director of Publishing Ali de Groot
“Self-reflection is as important a phase of human development as learning to crawl. Your children or maybe your children’s children will care…”
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Reflections from Repeat Client Brian Dunsirn
by Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg
“I didn’t expect the feeling of satisfaction received from the process itself. Recalling the many people throughout my life who helped me along the way was incredibly fulfilling…”
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The Modern Memoirs winter solstice 2024 card, designed by Book Designer Nicole Miller | |
Publishing Intern Lily Fitzgerald recently mailed out hundreds of winter solstice greeting cards, carrying on a beloved tradition established by company founder Kitty Axelson-Berry. How our mailing list has grown over three decades! If you would like to see a visual archive/gallery of cards sent out for nearly 30 solstices past, scroll down to the bottom of the Celebrating 30 Years! page on our website.
And, if you haven’t received this year’s winter solstice card, or if you’d like additional copies to share with others who may be interested in Modern Memoirs’ services, contact Genealogist Liz Sonnenberg today to receive a mailing.
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Memory Lane Stroll
We’d love to hear your brief personal reflections on the question of the month below. Write your response for a chance to be featured in the next edition of our e-newsletter!
December Question: Who are some favorite authors you’ve seen at readings or book-signing events?
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Staff responses:
Megan St. Marie: Some standouts include: poet Marilyn Nelson at Simmons University; Jacqueline Woodson at the Amherst College Lit Fest; Andrew Solomon during his tour for one of my favorite books, Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity.
Sean St. Marie: Poets Ada Limón, Ocean Vuong, Carl Phillips, Tracy K. Smith, and many others at the annual Tell It Slant Poetry Festival hosted by the Emily Dickinson Museum.
Ali de Groot: I saw Annie Proulx just after she’d written Accordion Crimes. She had three accordion players on stage with different types of accordions (from Canada, Italy, and France, as in the book) who played between her selected readings. Unforgettable!
Liz Sonnenberg: Lauret Savoy (Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape), Drew Lopenzina (Through an Indian’s Looking-glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot), Margaret Bruchac, Lisa Brooks, Colin Calloway...
Nicole Miller: My very firsts: Chris Van Allsburg and Stephen King.
Lily Fitzgerald: My 6th grade teacher invited Rob Buyea, the author of the Mr. Terupt series, to visit our class. It was a fun experience that gave me my first insights into the world of writing and publishing.
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Stop by to see us in person or online:
417 West Street, Suite 104
Amherst, MA 01002
www.modernmemoirs.com
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