Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory

Beginning with the idea that memory is nothing more than an angle of perception, Murdock explores the recurrent question asked by writers and readers of memoir alike: what actually happened? Prompted by the loss of identity that accompanied her mother's struggle with Alzheimer's and subsequent lost memories, Murdock offers that perhaps the faithful recording of the past isn't where the strength of memoir lies. Instead, Murdock looks at the basic components of memoir writing and the process of self-reflection it requires as they bring awareness to the underlying patterns of life. This captivating treatise on the corruptibility of memory, willed identity and the self as reflected through the lens of memoir speaks to all attracted to this most intimate of genres, and provides tools for exploration of the self and soul through personal narrative.


Author: Maureen Murdock
Publisher: Seal Press (CA)
Published: 05/23/2003
Pages: 176
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.47lbs
Size: 7.64h x 5.26w x 0.56d
ISBN13: 9781580050838
ISBN10: 1580050832
BISAC Categories:
- Language Arts & Disciplines | Writing | General

About the Author
Maureen Murdock is a psychotherapist, creative writing teacher, and the author of the best-selling book The Heroine's Journey: Woman's Quest for Wholeness, as well as Fathers' Daughters; Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery with Children; and The Heroine's Journey Workbook. A core faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Murdock lives in Santa Barbara, California.