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The Art of Memoir
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karrs The Liars Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well. For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning teaching prizes at Syracuse. (The writing program there produced such acclaimed authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas.) In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and black belt sinner, providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre. Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karrs own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or complicated history, whether writer or reader, will relate. Joining such classics as Stephen Kings On Writing and Anne Lamotts Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of todays most popular literary formsa tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft.
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MemoirsForMe
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Just a little memoir humor 😁🤭🥴

Lesliereadsalot I love Roz! I have two of her cartoons framed in my office! 23h
AmyG Roz is a GEM. 18h
lil1inblue 😂 😂 😂 18h
See All 6 Comments
dabbe 😂😂😂 12h
MemoirsForMe @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG I found this one at a used book sale. I must check out more of her cartoons. She‘s a riot! 3h
MemoirsForMe @lil1inblue @dabbe Bookish humor is the best! 😂 3h
46 likes6 comments
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REPollock
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

A good craft manual on a genre I generally eschew.

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Pinta
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Memoirist checklist: Crisp memories, passion, information & self-discipline.

P 165:”For most [memoirists], knowing the truth matters more than how they come off telling it. They‘ve spent lifetimes plumbing the past—weighing, questioning, digging around in the old days long after their former companions have sallied forth into tidy forgetfulness or private versions of personal history in which they star as heroes.”

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Pinta
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

Starting on a friend‘s memoir project & Karr certainly a model. Straightforward & practical advice, tho sometimes obvious (“Bad sentences make bad books,” “Most memoirs fail because of voice.”) Some wonderful close reads of Herr‘s “Dispatches,” Nabokov, Kingston. Structure somewhat free, taken from her lectures? Obsession w/ past & TRUTH: “I don‘t know if memoirists as children are lied to more often as kids or only grow up to resent it more.”2015

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SamAnne
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

My big sunflowers feed bees and goldfinches and I love them. And I really enjoyed this book. I‘ve been working to carve out more time for writing again. Mary has great general writing advice and great stories in this book on writers.

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SamAnne
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Snuck away for an hour last night for a glass of wine and this book. I loved Patron Saint of Liars and am enjoying her take on writing memoir.

59 likes2 stack adds
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RaimeyGallant
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

Exceptional writing advice aside, this is just a really good read. Whether you write memoirs or fiction, this is an essential read, the chapters discussing voice and sensory description some of the best I've come across on the subjects.

britt_brooke Love this! I love her memoirs, too. 5y
RaimeyGallant @britt_brooke I just added all her memoirs to my tbr. 5y
britt_brooke @RaimeyGallant Hope you enjoy! She‘s one of my favorites. 💚 5y
marleed Oh I love books about writing. The Stephen King book On Writing rings in my ear any time I read an adverb used to describe a character in conversation! 5y
Trashcanman 14.639739 5y
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marianese
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
Pickpick

This was a solid exploration of what makes a good memoir, with close readings of a number of classics in the genre, as well as considerations of how Karr has approached the common challenges and pitfalls of writing memoir. I wouldn't say it was chock-full of amazing insights, but definitely valuable to those interested in writing memoir.

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LauraBeth
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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DivineDiana 😓 7y
AmyG Sigh :( 7y
saresmoore Ugh. 7y
See All 22 Comments
Dolly I clicked "like" but it really means support. ?? 7y
Weaponxgirl Same here @Dolly . All these women are so brave to speak out 7y
ephemeralwaltz @Dolly same here 👌 7y
ephemeralwaltz Thanks for sharing @LauraBeth 🖤🖤 7y
Maria514626 @LauraBeth Thanks for sharing. 7y
Notafraidofwords I‘m so disappointed I mean it‘s not like they‘re giving a Pulitzer Prize to every Latino so what ends up happening is that this feels like terrible for me because I looked up to him as a person that was doing something big. But I guess that‘s the problem with talking tokenism. My heart breaks for these women and I can‘t imagine the doubt and her and powerlessness they must‘ve felt. 7y
LauraBeth @Notafraidofwords I know exactly what you mean. ❤️ 7y
saresmoore @LauraBeth I had the same thought. It all just breaks my heart, but sadly, doesn‘t surprise me anymore. 7y
LauraBeth @saresmoore All of this makes me appreciate @thereadingwomen and their selections much more 7y
Notafraidofwords @LauraBeth wow. Thank you. What a great ending to the article. I could relate. 7y
mrozzz Wow. 😣 (edited) 7y
batsy So many feelings of sadness and anger. Sherman Alexie, Junot Diaz, authors I've learned from. So sad for all the women who have had to go through this 😔 7y
thereadingwomen ❤️ 7y
saresmoore @LauraBeth @Notafraidofwords That article! Such an honest & hopeful perspective. It took major guts for her to write that. So many of our global cultures quietly accept misogynistic norms (👋 mom & dad) and it encourages me to hear from beautiful voices who are prepared to speak light and illuminate those long-shadowed places. 7y
TrishB Great article, but sad we‘re still having to address.....we all live these challenges every day. 7y
Suet624 May be an unpopular opinion but I‘m still going to read Sherman Alexie. I could go on about the reasons why but I think I‘ll just leave it at that. 7y
LauraBeth @Suet624 Unpopular opinions are always welcome! 7y
100 likes22 comments
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britt_brooke
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Memoir fans - If you haven‘t read this, I highly recommend it. And today it‘s only $1.99!

BarbaraTheBibliophage I picked this one up and cannot wait for it! 7y
britt_brooke @BarbaraTheBibliophage It‘s a great read. Hope you enjoy! 7y
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AshleySimon
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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"In my experience, young writers may stumble early on by misunderstanding the basic nature of their talents. We want to be who we‘re not. The badass wants to be a saint, the saint a slut, the slut an intellectual in pince-nez glasses."

mrozzz Brand new to Litsy? 🤓 7y
AshleySimon @mrozzz yes! 🤓😁 7y
mrozzz Yay! I hope you enjoy it here. @MrBook can you help me get @AshleySimon some support? 😊 7y
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MrBook But of course, @mrozzz 😎🙌🏻. Welcome to Litsy, @AshleySimon 😁👏🏻! You're going to love the #LitsyFamily, I guarantee it. (edited) 7y
AshleySimon @mrozzz @MrBook thanks guys!🙏 Still learning my way around... but I'm excited to be here! 😁 7y
mrozzz @britt_brooke another Mary Karr fan over here 😊 7y
mrozzz @AshleySimon it'll take some getting used to but you'll love it like @MrBook says.... 😄 if you need help or recos on other people to follow, just ask!! 7y
britt_brooke @mrozzz Thanks for the tag! 😘 You‘re my kind of reader @AshleySimon - welcome to Litsy! It‘s the best. 💚 7y
AshleySimon @britt_brooke yay for Mary Karr fans... she's one of my favorites! Thanks for the recommend @mrozzz - can't wait to make other connections w fellow readers! 📖☺️🤗 7y
Malisa Welcome to Litsy!! Hope you enjoy your time here!! 🎉🎉 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Welcome to our little bookish corner of the world! 7y
Sydsavvy Welcome!!! 7y
cathysaid Welcome! One great way to get involved is through a "read-along" or "buddy read." Try looking at the pages of @Jess7 @MinDea @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks to see posts about #BOTMBuddyRead. (edited) 7y
TricksyTails Welcome to Litsy! I'm fairly new here and this community has been so warm and welcoming! I love it here. I look forward to future bookish chats. ☺️ 7y
Lindy Welcome! 7y
TheWordJar Welcome to Litsy! You've just found yourself an amazing book community! Make yourself comfortable, and happy reading! 7y
RadicalReader @AshleySimon Welcome to Litsy! Enjoy your stay and share some wonderful words of wisdom while you embark on your book filled journey 7y
Cinfhen #LitsyWelcomeWagon check out @RaimeyGallant she has tips for new users to make Litsy even friendlier..... 7y
RaimeyGallant Welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon 7y
AshleySimon Thanks all, glad to be here🤓😁 7y
MadisonCarter Just finished Cherry last night, starting Lit today. The Liars‘ Club was exceptional. Love Mary Karr! #bookfriends 7y
AshleySimon @MadisonCarter I‘m reading The Liars‘ Club right now.... love her! 7y
RaimeyGallant P.S. Here's a compilation of Litsy tips that some of us put together:
http://litsy.com/p/aDJja2lMZFFY
7y
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britt_brooke
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

"I can honestly say not one page I've ever published appears anywhere close to how it came out in first draft. A poem might take sixty versions. I am not much of a writer, but I am a stubborn little bulldog of a reviser."

Here, #MaryKarr discusses the memoir process — MUCH more complex than I ever dreamed. She sights several authors' works plus her own. My #TBR is now several memoirs deeper and I'm elated. A must-read for fans of the genre.

minkyb I don't read memoirs but now I am curious! 7y
britt_brooke @minkyb I really enjoy them. I think I just like reading about other people's lives/experiences sometimes. That said, some of them are not very good. It can be hit or miss for me. 7y
L_auren Thanks for posting about this-- looks super interesting!! 7y
britt_brooke @L_auren 😊👍🏻 7y
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britt_brooke
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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merelybookish Amen! I read something recently where the writer was really into $3 words. I found it distracting. And annoying. 7y
britt_brooke @merelybookish Completely agree - distracting and annoying. 😬 7y
78 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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britt_brooke
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Continuing my newfound #MaryKarr obsession. 🎧

Cathythoughts I bought this on audible, by mistake ( but I'm keeping it ) I meant to get Lit ! I then got Lit on kindle. I watched a couple of interviews with the author on utube. She seems really interesting & down to earth 👍 7y
britt_brooke @Cathythoughts I just listened to Lit and I really love her narration. 💚 7y
BooksForEmpathy Yes she's pretty great. 7y
91 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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BookHermit
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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I sense a trend...So far 20% of my reading this year is memoir-based. And all but one of them audiobooks 🤔

mrozzz Ha! And have you also listened/read the Mary Karr?? 7y
BookHermit @mrozzz You bet! Solo road trip at the end of April. I think she might have kicked off the trend! 7y
25 likes2 comments
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whereistexasjen
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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My sister is catsitting while we are out of town. This is how my cat expresses that he is not pleased by my absence. #catsoflitsy

Soubhiville Oh dear. I hope he didn't damage any of them! 7y
cariashley 😂😂 7y
mrozzz Oh no!!! 😓 7y
14 likes3 comments
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mrozzz
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

A fun, private lesson in memoir from Mary Karr herself. Any interest in memoir as a form of storytelling or in writing your own, this is a good listen for you. She's a professor so she's pretty good at this: culling prime examples of both far-fetched and poised memoirs. My only criticism is I wish I'd heard more comparisons to her own writing earlier on-because I hadn't read her before (although Liar's Club is on my #TBR)

DrSabrinaMoldenReads I loved this too 7y
mrozzz @Joyfulmimi 😊 Mary Karr is great 👍🏻 7y
ReadingEnvy Loved this, I think of it a lot. 7y
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mrozzz @ReadingEnvy it's definitely a book that sticks with you 7y
britt_brooke I just started listening to this today 👍🏻. I recently read The Liars' Club, Lit, and Sinners Welcome (and currently also reading Cherry). I love her; she's a new favorite for me! 7y
mrozzz @britt_brooke She's so witty! This is the only one I've gotten through but next time I see Lit or Liar's Club at my local used bookstore I'll snatch them up 😊 7y
britt_brooke @mrozzz You won't be disappointed! 💚 7y
39 likes1 stack add7 comments
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DrSabrinaMoldenReads
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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So excited about all the new memoirs coming out now.

Suet624 I can't wait to read Alexie's book. Love his writing. 7y
DrSabrinaMoldenReads Indeed! @Suet624 It took so much willpower not to buy both of those books (edited) 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage I'm looking forward to both of these. Just saw this news yesterday about Alexie. http://kuow.org/post/sherman-alexie-s-heartbreaking-reason-pausing-his-book-tour 7y
BooksForEmpathy I just saw Alexie Sherman. His book was amazing. 7y
17 likes1 stack add4 comments
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AMVP
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Mehso-so

#junetunz day 4 - #beyourself

I've said it before, etc. : I'm not a fan of memoirs. I liked this book well enough when I read it last year, but it had little to offer me of practical value.

I like thinking of it like this: I much prefer someone tell me about themself by way of telling me about something else, rather than just telling me who they are or, heaven forbid, telling me about something else by way of telling me about themself.

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plath
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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About to tackle this puppy....it's been intimidating me for too long 😂

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katedensen
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Yesterday's bargain paperback ($7.98 each!) #bookhaul from bookbook, an adorable independent bookstore on Bleecker Street in the West Village.

42 likes1 stack add
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BookHermit
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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A quick super before my first night at the convent. I am the only one there. I wanted solitude and boy am I getting it in spades! Fortifying myself for a long night of reading/writing with a beer and a bison burger. Wish me luck!

LeahBergen Are you allowed to smuggle in more beer?! 😂 8y
Suet624 Whee is the convent? 8y
BookHermit @LeahBergen It's been turned into a wonderfully serene B&B so yes! I have a whole bottle of wine. It's not drinking alone if I post from time to time, right? 😂 8y
See All 6 Comments
BookHermit @Suet624 Val Marie, Saskatchewan 8y
Suet624 Oh dear. Very far away. 8y
Zelma Great book choice! I really loved that one. 8y
36 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Erinkburba
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
This post contains spoilers
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Loving this book today! Although it tackles memoirs specifically, the book is also a meditation on truth in writing and a love letter to the medium. #recommendsday

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hfpotier
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Added to my Mary Karr collection

7 likes1 stack add
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peggyriley
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
Pickpick

Love memoirs? You'll love this exploration of how to read and write them.

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peggyriley
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Lucky old me. Mary Karr did an event in the rare book room at The Strand tonight, and I got a seat. A generous and heartfelt chat on writing and truth.

7 likes1 stack add
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peggyriley
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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'We're all doomed to drama...' Yes, this is my beach read, and it's magnificent. I'm underlining every page.

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peggyriley
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Going away to read for a few days, armed with the most delicious books from The Strand. This one's first, I think.

11 likes1 stack add
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tkmadden
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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When today's reading matches your outfit

katedensen 😂❤️😂 8y
8leagueboot Those shoes + that flannel 😍 8y
LiteraryinPA I heard the NPR interview with her today. She was talking about her relationship with David Foster Wallace. It was interesting, though I've never read any of her books. 8y
47 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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BookishClaire
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Whose memoir do you wish existed? Over on Book Riot, we're sharing our wish list.
http://bookriot.com/2016/08/07/dear-publishing-industry-please-make-memoirs-happ...

Ashley_Nicoletto The list on Bookriot is so good. I would read every one of those. 8y
MrBook Ditto what @Ashley_Nicoletto says ☝🏻️. 8y
18 likes2 comments
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mel_bee
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
Pickpick

I haven't read anything else by Mary Karr (although now I want to!) but the honesty and compassion in her voice makes this a compelling read, even for someone who has no intention of writing a memoir.

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Readaholics
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

I loved Mary Karr's recommendations of other memoirs to read. I loved it was laid out like her class she teaches at Syracuse. I loved her personal examples on how to stay true to your story, find your voice and speak your truth. Oh and she's funny and brutally honest.

Reviewsbylola I will have to check this out. I really love her memoirs, especially the first two. 8y
Susannah I've been putting this one on hold because I'm afraid it'll bring on another book buying binge. 8y
SusanInTiburon Brought it home from the bookstore on Tuesday! 8y
74 likes16 stack adds3 comments
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ReadWriteRest
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

I keep going back to this book and loving it more and more. For fans of memoirs, you can't beat the "required readings" in the appendix.

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LynneGriffin
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

Classic for writers of all genres.

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Emily1
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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Pickpick

Mary Karr is one of my all time fav writers. I always end up "saving" her books in a need for them not to end.

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jenbutlr
The Art of Memoir | Mary Karr
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I stumbled upon this in a #littlelibrary. My heart skipped a little beat.