A conversation about memoir, letters, diaries, and writing, from Anne Frank to the age of Gawker.

The story of how one guy’s random Twitter feed became an online sensation, a bestselling book, and an upcoming sitcom starring Wiliam Shatner.

A Wall Street Journal reporter gives herself her toughest assignment yet: the story of a complicated and beloved woman—who also happens to be the author’s mom.

“The best songwriters are really fantastic storytellers; they only have three or four verses and a chorus to get it across. Listening to songs made me realize: it’s my job to get to the heart of this thing as quickly as I can.”
Steve Almond is a Drooling Fanatic, a breed he describes as “wannabes, geeks, [...]

Valentino Achak Deng partnered with author Dave Eggers to create What is the What, his autobiography and the story of millions of Sudanese who experienced the atrocities of civil war.

Yagoda talks about his audacious chronicle of the memoir, one that spans thousands of memoirs and hundreds of years—and manna for anyone obsessed by personal storytelling.

The Year of Loving Dangerously is the story of what happened when as a 20-year-old Ted Rall narrowly avoided homelessness by spending the night with as many women as possible, all while trying to get his life back together.

“It’s a common misperception that for some reason we should be telling stories about other people instead of ourselves.”
Depression, as we all know, can be deadly. Writer’s block is lethal. Combine the two, toss in some ADD, and it’s a wonder that writer Stephen Elliott would ever get out of bed, let alone pick up [...]

“I know everything there is to know about fathers who root against their sons.”
On May 5, 2007, Floyd Mayweather meets Oscar De LaHoya at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight has been hyped for five months. Floyd will make more than twenty million dollars and De LaHoya will make more than thirty. De [...]

Kathleen Rooney bared it all—and got paid to do it. In Live Nude Girl: My Life as an Object, Rooney recounts her experiences as a nude life drawing model. Check out her g-chat interview with Katherine Wootton.