As Dr Lily Dunn prepares for the new Narrative Nonfiction cohort of students at Bath Spa University, she reflects on a tweet by a writer she admires, Leslie Jamison... on how best to write 'the self.
Yes!! In late 2018, I totally burnt out, my mum died, I had a hysterectomy, I had to give up my business, then covid happened and we decided to sell our house and live on a narrow boat. The last 6 years have been spent trying to make sense of why I fell apart so dramatically, but so many people have said 'I need to put the past behind me/ I'm getting older (67) so I need to just get on with my life blah blah blah '. Writing is so helpful in helping me to move forward and I'm learning not to pay attention to everyone else's opinion. We all learn from each other and I'm so grateful to everyone who is brave enough to share their stories.
I often feel that writing about myself will make me look self-obsessed or self-absorbed and solipsistic, so thank you for sharing this. I love Leslie Jamison, and her words are also so encouraging for those of us who want to delve deeper into the self.
I think that a fascination with our own lives - our histories and experiences, how we have lived - is the fuel that allows us to explore other people's. Not only that, but it is the catalyst for us to create fictional characters in whom we can invest imagined histories and experiences and then wallow in the exploration of those.
This is so helpful ... I have spent 30 years as a journalist, mainly being objective about other people's activities; recently I've been trying to add an element of memoir writing to my portfolio, but I struggle against the Northern Irish mantras I was brought up with: 'Don't show off'; and 'Who would be interested in you?'
Love this. Yes, to the everyday life, the breakfast preferences being written, and yes to writing as a religion which actually opens us to others rather than closes us down inside ourselves. X
Yes!! In late 2018, I totally burnt out, my mum died, I had a hysterectomy, I had to give up my business, then covid happened and we decided to sell our house and live on a narrow boat. The last 6 years have been spent trying to make sense of why I fell apart so dramatically, but so many people have said 'I need to put the past behind me/ I'm getting older (67) so I need to just get on with my life blah blah blah '. Writing is so helpful in helping me to move forward and I'm learning not to pay attention to everyone else's opinion. We all learn from each other and I'm so grateful to everyone who is brave enough to share their stories.
And if you need to process, you need to process. Period.
I often feel that writing about myself will make me look self-obsessed or self-absorbed and solipsistic, so thank you for sharing this. I love Leslie Jamison, and her words are also so encouraging for those of us who want to delve deeper into the self.
Thank you for reading!
yes … make it interesting, and not just about us but relatable, so it’s not showing off, you’re writing for a reason
I had no idea how badly something deep inside me needed to receive this. Thank you so very much for this moving essay. (I adore Leslie Jamison, too.)
So glad it resonated. I also love Jamison
I think that a fascination with our own lives - our histories and experiences, how we have lived - is the fuel that allows us to explore other people's. Not only that, but it is the catalyst for us to create fictional characters in whom we can invest imagined histories and experiences and then wallow in the exploration of those.
Yes! I agree. We must not forget fiction!
Beautifully put
This is so helpful ... I have spent 30 years as a journalist, mainly being objective about other people's activities; recently I've been trying to add an element of memoir writing to my portfolio, but I struggle against the Northern Irish mantras I was brought up with: 'Don't show off'; and 'Who would be interested in you?'
Such a paralysing thought. And something we all have to work with not against
Love this. Yes, to the everyday life, the breakfast preferences being written, and yes to writing as a religion which actually opens us to others rather than closes us down inside ourselves. X
Writing is religion 🩷
This post tapped into a couple of things for me:
1)the horror that my desire to write a memoir is a narcissistic endeavour of pure self indulgence and
2) how much I wish I was starting the MA at Bath Spa!
So many people feel that about the narcissism
Leslie Jamison- ordering right now! How to write when there’s so much to READ!!!!!
But she is brilliant 🤩 so helps the writing