Write your memoir or get out

Find yourself a nice corner and a few hours...


Sarah Palin is writing a memoir. A bit belated of her "one year being anyone somewhat significant" anniversary. A book deal announced in July-- Sarah writes furiously-- book release in November. That sure was fast. She'll likely tell the tale of her wizened political journey, years of hard nosed debating, rhetoric from the stump, and a culmination of eons of well earned influence. All of this compacted into a 400 page volume?! Certainly we can all expect a sequel, maybe even a Winston Churchill-esque attempt will be made (six volumes).


Memoirs are turning into a funny thing. Traditionally they have been reserved for people who have accomplished important things, influenced the tide of world events, played host to a lifetime of achievement, etc.. Now anyone that has been on the news can whip out a sheath of freshly printed hardcover copies and stamp it "memoir"-- no matter that you have had a very uninteresting life.


To compete with Ms. Palin, New York Times writer, Joel Stein takes but a day and writes his memoirs. Because Palin wrote hers with Lynn Vincent, Stein chose Neil Strauss — who co-wrote memoirs with Marilyn Manson, Motley Crue, Dave Navarro and Jenna Jameson — to assist him in writing Rogue Journalist: An Even More American Life. He does a fine job.

Joel Stein Memoir -

Not to give it away, but to quote the entire sixth and final chapter-- which brings the work to a final, solemn conclusion:

On April 29, 2009, my son Laszlo was born. I thought about Robert Goulet and my grandfather, and how they both would have loved to have seen him. But they were both dead. And one day, I will be too.

That is all, the end.. now go write your own memoir. I am writing mine right now, in cursive, with a quill, by candlelight.. only hoping that the finest British publishing companies will pick up my work!