Approaching The End (Of Memoir Writing)
Title
Approaching The End (Of Memoir Writing)
Creator
Jacob Schlitt
Description
"For the past 15 years I have been writing my 'memoirs'."
Date
2016-08-17
Format
application/pdf
Type
text
Language
en
Coverage
2001/2016
Identifier
APPROACHING_THE_END
Text
APPROACHING THE END (OF MEMOIR WRITING)
For the past 15 years I have been writing my “memoirs.” That is, I have been taking a class called “Telling Your Story” which has encouraged me to look back on my life and remember, and put those remembrances in writing. I now have several hundred remembrances. As I wrote them, I would send many of them to my children and close friends. It was my hope that some day I would assemble them into a book: my memoirs.
Over the past few years, I find that, instead of writing “remembrances,” I am writing observations. It is possible that I have written all that I can about my childhood, my growing up, my schooling, my work life, my family, my friends, my neighborhoods, my hobbies, my accomplishments, and my lack of accomplishments.
When I sit at my computer these days, trying to remember some aspect of my life that I may not have probed, I draw a blank. I either have already written about it (whatever “it” is), or the details of the event are hazy. My wonderful memory is fading. I am aware that there is growing short term memory loss. Obviously, there is long term memory loss as well. So I write observations.
At one time, I thought I would go through my files as a way to jog my memory. I have scores of folders containing papers from the classes I attended, the jobs I held, the organizations to which I belonged, the trips I took, correspondence, journals, medical records, financial records, clippings etc. It turns out that whenever I try to write a piece using the material in my files, the piece turns out to be stilted, a catalog or a chronology. No doubt a different approach is required when one shifts from pure memory to “research,” or a blending of memory and research.
For months, I have been trying to figure out how to “organize” all the pieces I have written. I hope they are all in my computer somewhere, but I am not sure. I believe I have printed (hard) copies of all my pieces, but I am not sure. I wonder if I was as disorganized an organizer when I worked for the ILGWU. I ask the instructors at the Apple store how to organize my pieces. They tell me to open up new documents folders and name them, and put my pieces, which are files, into the appropriate folders. Sounds logical. Drag and drop. I previously kept confusing files and folders. At least I now know that those blue things with the raised corner are folders, and I am supposed to put those white sheets with the folded down corners (files) into folders. Some are labeled DOC and some are labeled DOCX. I don’t know why.
Recently, David emailed me to say that he has identified about 350 pieces that I sent him, and he is willing to help me pull them together. That would be great. I suspect that what I will have to do is reconcile myself to the fact that I will have to do heavy duty thinning. I will not be able to include everything I have written in the final product. At the start of each year, I promised myself that I would have the final product at the end of each year.
8-17-16
For the past 15 years I have been writing my “memoirs.” That is, I have been taking a class called “Telling Your Story” which has encouraged me to look back on my life and remember, and put those remembrances in writing. I now have several hundred remembrances. As I wrote them, I would send many of them to my children and close friends. It was my hope that some day I would assemble them into a book: my memoirs.
Over the past few years, I find that, instead of writing “remembrances,” I am writing observations. It is possible that I have written all that I can about my childhood, my growing up, my schooling, my work life, my family, my friends, my neighborhoods, my hobbies, my accomplishments, and my lack of accomplishments.
When I sit at my computer these days, trying to remember some aspect of my life that I may not have probed, I draw a blank. I either have already written about it (whatever “it” is), or the details of the event are hazy. My wonderful memory is fading. I am aware that there is growing short term memory loss. Obviously, there is long term memory loss as well. So I write observations.
At one time, I thought I would go through my files as a way to jog my memory. I have scores of folders containing papers from the classes I attended, the jobs I held, the organizations to which I belonged, the trips I took, correspondence, journals, medical records, financial records, clippings etc. It turns out that whenever I try to write a piece using the material in my files, the piece turns out to be stilted, a catalog or a chronology. No doubt a different approach is required when one shifts from pure memory to “research,” or a blending of memory and research.
For months, I have been trying to figure out how to “organize” all the pieces I have written. I hope they are all in my computer somewhere, but I am not sure. I believe I have printed (hard) copies of all my pieces, but I am not sure. I wonder if I was as disorganized an organizer when I worked for the ILGWU. I ask the instructors at the Apple store how to organize my pieces. They tell me to open up new documents folders and name them, and put my pieces, which are files, into the appropriate folders. Sounds logical. Drag and drop. I previously kept confusing files and folders. At least I now know that those blue things with the raised corner are folders, and I am supposed to put those white sheets with the folded down corners (files) into folders. Some are labeled DOC and some are labeled DOCX. I don’t know why.
Recently, David emailed me to say that he has identified about 350 pieces that I sent him, and he is willing to help me pull them together. That would be great. I suspect that what I will have to do is reconcile myself to the fact that I will have to do heavy duty thinning. I will not be able to include everything I have written in the final product. At the start of each year, I promised myself that I would have the final product at the end of each year.
8-17-16
Original Format
application/msword
Collection
Citation
Jacob Schlitt, “Approaching The End (Of Memoir Writing),” Autobiographical stories & other writing by Jacob Schlitt, accessed September 11, 2024, https://tsirlson.omeka.net/items/show/378.