Book Review – Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir by Sue Silverman

I recently had the pleasure of receiving a copy of Sue Silverman's newest book, Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir.

I have long considered myself a writer. In fact, I wrote my first book at the age of eight. However, it was not until I really got into Sue's book that I began to explore who I truly am as a writer.

I have struggled for a long time with finding my true voice and trying to define myself through my writing. I have all of these stories that I believe are worth telling and sharing but I am often stumped at where to begin.

Although this book is used as a textbook in many writing classes, it does not at all have the feel of the traditional college textbook. Rather the exercises are valuable and the tips are top notch. My dog eared copy of Sue's book now sits on my nightstand where I frequently reference it.

Sue's book gave me the courage to use my real voice, no matter what. Sue's book has also encouraged me to begin to write my own story. The story of my childhood with my manic depressive, often emotionally and physically abusive mother and my father who avoided this conflict.

I have a voice. Sue Silverman says, “Fearless Confessions is intended to help ensure that our voices are heard.” Thank you Sue for writing this book and providing the encouragement to use my voice.

What others are saying about Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir:

15-Minutes Magazine: “Fearless Confessions is such a dynamic guide to memoir writing it has inspired me to completely refine and retool the memoir I’m working on. Sue William Silverman, a faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts, is an amazing master of the language. Her prose is as enjoyable as it is instructive. This should be an essential textbook of any creative writing course. She gives examples of memoir pieces and analyzes each one, showing how they work, why they’re powerful, and even why some fail to impress. (University of Georgia Press, softcover.)”

The Writer Magazine: “I dutifully recommend Lamott's Bird by Bird, Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones and King's On Writing to my students each term, but I find that I'm particularly excited to inform them of Silverman's new book. Her writing has a…tone that's…both accessible to readers and uncompromising in its rigorous investigation of what makes for compelling memoir.”

Amazon Review: “I heard Sue's voice in my ear as I read this book, and now that I am sitting down in front of my computer, gearing up to write, she is there is the background reminding me to use effective verbs, to fearlessly dig for meaning and to choose metaphors that will add layers to my work. Thanks Sue for this book, a gift to the fearful writer.”

Another Amazon Review: “If you've been lucky enough to have had Sue William Silverman as a teacher, you'll know the value of this gem of a book. One of the great practitioners and evangelists of the modern memoir, this is Silverman at her very best — running alongside your bicycle whether you are an experienced or a novice writer. There is much to learn here; much to treasure. Just don't lend it to a friend. You won't get it back.”

Please click here if you'd like to watch a video book trailer of “Fearless Confessions.”

Sue William Silverman is the author of two memoirs. Her first memoir, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, won the AWP award series in creative nonfiction. Her second, Love Sick: One Woman's Journey through Sexual Addiction (W. W. Norton), is also a Lifetime Television original movie. Her poetry collection is Hieroglyphics in Neon, and her latest book, Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir, is published with the University of Georgia Press. She is associate editor of Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, and teaches in the MFA in Writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has appeared on such national TV shows as The View, Anderson Cooper-360, and CNN Headline News.

A Special Thanks to WOW! Women on Writing for including me in this blog tour and introducing me to this fabulous author. WOW! is an amazing resource. If you are a writer or aspire to be a writer, you owe it to yourself to check out WOW!