Memoirville recommends… an interview with Tom Grimes on Bookslut.

Tom Grimes writes a portrait of one of his teachers, Frank Conroy, author of the great memoir Stop-Time and director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop for many years. His new book, Mentor: A Memoir, is Grimes’ memoir told through his relationship to Conroy. Grimes began with the intention of writing about Conroy’s work, but through writing he realized he was writing his own story. He notes, “If Frank hadn’t been my subject, I never could have written about myself.”

In this interview, Grimes discusses what it was like to be close to Conroy, the validation that the vast majority of young writers seek from their teachers, and, of course, memoir. It’s an inspiring look at the student-teacher relationship, the passion of writing, and friendship.

Tags: Frank Conroy, Stop-Time, Tom Grimes