Ashley Doonan | Bowling Green State University (original) (raw)

The past two decades mark what Professor Leigh Gilmore refers to as the "memoir boom." Critics as... more The past two decades mark what Professor Leigh Gilmore refers to as the "memoir boom." Critics associate this "boom" with our increasingly self-absorbed, narcissistic nature. However, that are those quick to condemn autobiographical writing neglect to acknowledge the proven therapeutic benefits of the form. While memoir is an art and a genre of its own, it is also a genre that human beings are rightfully prone to. If we can see past highly publicized events such as James Frey's A Million Little Pieces scandal, an abundance of valuable, reflective writings exist within the genre. Psychologist James Pennebaker suggests that self-life-writing is positively correlated with psychological wellbeing.