Book Recommendations: Memoir, Autobiography & Biography
Today, I want to share a few of my personal book recommendations that fall somewhere in the memoir, autobiography and biography genres. Before I share my list with you, a few reflections...
While I enjoy a variety of genres, I love memoir (and versions thereof). I’ve always found people’s own stories to be particularly fascinating and wonderful. I’m curious about who people are, about how they see the world, and most of all, how they came to be that way. I love how one person’s story can shift our own worldview. Just when you think you know how things are, a good story can act like a snow globe and shake up our certainties.
One of my favourite books as a young person was Jean Little’s Hey World, Here I Am. While fiction, the book read like a peek into a young person’s journal, and it had a lasting impact on me.
But the pivotal point for me really happened when I was 15. My drama teacher suggested I read The Diary of Anais Nin. I took his advice, and it changed my life. Nin’s writing helped me see life and identity as a story of our own making, and demonstrated the powerful role of journaling not only as a self-help tool, but a literary one. My occasional diarizing deepened into a regular habit and I never looked back.
One of my favourite storytellers was my paternal grandmother, aka Nana. As a young adult I helped Nana write her autobiography. I also helped produce a biography of my late grandfather that explored his journey as an immigrant. And I helped write an autobiography for my maternal grandfather as well. These experiences helped me feel closer to my family and their histories, while moving me further towards my calling as a professional storyteller.
If you’re not already a fan of memoir, you might be surprised at just how much diversity the genre contains. There’s so much room for different types of storytelling. Not to mention how genres can easily crossover and mix with each other. It’s come a long way from the celebrity tell-alls that once dominated.
So with all that said, here’s a handful of books to check out. Some of these I read just in the past year, and a few are older favourites worthy of mention. (As I write this, I keep thinking of more books to add! Ahh so hard to share just a few!)
As always, a few reminders:
- please buy books from local bookstores that you’d like to support, or take books out of your local library. Many libraries have audio as well print options available these days.
- read stories from folks who are different than you. Stories can help us deepen and expand our knowledge of issues we’ve never experienced firsthand, and increase our empathy and sense of connection and commitment to one another.
- of course, as I wrote last week, reading is one tool for growth and improvement, but it’s not the whole toolbox. There is so much to be done in terms of social justice and dismantling the systems that continue to entrench things like white supremacy and transphobia. We have a lot of work to do, so let’s keep doing it.
Okay, here we go...
Memoir, autobiography, and biography: some suggested reading
Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela
If you’ve never read Mandela's incredible autobiography, now is the time. I continue to think about this book years after having read it. It says so much about humanity and hope, about revolution and organizing, about commitment to a cause, about colonialism and how systemic racism is built and upheld, and about storytelling. This book is both timely, and timeless.
Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
While we’re on the subject of South Africa, if you haven’t read Trevor Noah’s memoir, it’s absolutely fantastic. Through honest storytelling and humour he addresses the complexities of issues like colonialism, racism, apartheid, poverty and domestic violence, as well as themes of family, community, and coming of age. It’s both laugh out loud funny, and gutting at times. It’s just so good. I listened to this book in audio form and Trevor Noah’s voice brought an extra dimension to the book.
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman, by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
This is a great choice for someone who wants to learn more about Harriet Tubman in an accessible way. (It’s an easy and engaging read, not a history textbook.) The book celebrates and explores parts of Tubman’s life and self that aren’t often talked about or acknowledged. Definitely worth a read, especially if you don’t already know a lot about Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
How to Survive a Plague, by David France
Admittedly this is more of a history book, but France weaves in so much personal storytelling (and I love it so much) that I’ve decided to include it in this list. This is the story of the AIDS crisis, largely from a New York point of view. (If you’ve seen the documentary of the same time, the book is 1000x better, and way more complex.) While you could certainly critique this book for the limits of its focus (not enough on the role of Black and trans communities as I recall), it is still an incredible book exploring the very real and personal experiences of those living through the AIDS crisis, searching for a cure, the depth of homophobia preventing action, and the incredible and wide-reaching activist efforts involved. The blend of personal storytelling, journalism, science, and social commentary in this book add up to a thoroughly compelling read that you won’t forget. It also speaks to the level of continued vigilance and commitment that activism sometimes requires in order to demand progress and justice, and serves some important lessons for today’s times.
On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope, by Deray McKesson
I’m cheating again because this one isn’t really a memoir either, but it expertly weaves in personal storytelling. McKesson is so skilled at breaking down complex concepts and ideas and articulating them clearly and eloquently, while sharing his own stories and experiences. (It’s the kind of book where you could wind up highlighting the entire thing because there are so many powerful, mic-drop statements in it.) Among many things, I appreciate his thoughts on why we need a vision for a hopeful future. While he doesn’t mince words about the harsh realities of racial injustice and white supremacy, he also shows us the importance of envisioning a better future, and how to work for it. I also love the chapter on storytelling, including his own experiences of speaking his truth and coming out of the “quiet”.
Gender Failure, by Rae Spoon & Ivan E. Coyote
A few years back I gave a zine-making workshop at the University of Western Ontario, and in effort to integrate my workshop with the curriculum, I read this book. Lucky me! I loved it. There are so many fantastic books on gender but I love this one for its unique blend of storytelling forms and how well Rae and Ivan explore gender and the failings of the binary. If you love storytelling, and/or want to better understand gender and its limitations, this is an excellent choice.
Dear Girls, by Ali Wong
This book is framed as a series of letters to the author’s daughters, and has a lot on the subject of motherhood. (Something I don’t have personal experience in.) But it’s about so much more than that. It’s feminist, honest, funny, and deals frankly with issues of racism, representation, and expectations of women. Just as she does in her comedy, Wong speaks frankly about things that women aren’t “supposed” to talk about, including the nitty gritty realities of miscarriage and childbirth. I also appreciated Wong’s acknowledgement of women who aren’t mothers and the expectations on them compared to men who aren’t fathers. It’s a very funny book with lots of heart and sincerity too.
I.M., by Isaac Mizrahi
I loved this book right from the introduction. It speaks to the experience of feeling different, even within one’s own community. (In Mizrahi’s case, the experience of being gay in the Syrian Jewish community.) It explores the need (and struggle) to be true to one’s self, even in the face of what most people would define as success. It also has a fun dose of celebrity stories and behind-the-scenes insights into the fashion world, if you like that sort of thing. It’s a colourfully written book, and especially enjoyable to listen to in audio format in the author’s distinctive voice.
Redefining Realness, by Janet Mock
This is a beautiful, honest, and poignant book. Mock shares her experiences growing up as a trans woman, and in doing so also explores the meaning of family, friendship, womanhood, and self-creation. Along the way, she also offers some critical commentary and crystal clear explanation of subjects relating to gender, race and class. This book is a really wonderful, unflinchingly honest read with a lot of heart, and it’s hard to put down.
Over the Top, by Jonathan Van Ness
If you’re already a JVN fan, I don’t need to tell you to read this book. But I will point out a couple things that I particularly appreciated about it: First, the idea that we all have multiple ‘selves’, and one of the best things we can do is make space for and appreciate those many overlapping and contradictory parts of our identity. Secondly, I love how Van Ness talks about his HIV+ status and how he used his book (and high profile platform) to educate the public on U=U. Not enough people know about U=U, so if you’re not familiar with U=U, please get familiar with it. This is another book that is probably most fun in audio version since Van Ness is so delightful to listen to.
Letter to My Daughter, by Maya Angelou
This is one of those books that I keep returning to, pulling off the bookshelf now and then. Even just reading the brief and poignant introduction is like a personal reset. It’s not very original to recommend Maya Angelou, but then again, there’s a reason for that. As she writes in the introduction, “you will find in this book accounts of growing up, unexpected emergencies, a few poems, some light stories to make you laugh and some to make you meditate.” As she also says, “Life loves the liver of it.”
Find a Way, by Diana Nyad
At 64, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. This book is an incredible story about what it takes to do something that everyone thinks is impossible — even when it requires trying again. And again. And again. Nyad also speaks candidly about the sexual assault she experienced as a young person and draws attention to the problem of sexual assault in coaching and athletics. This book is full of vulnerability as well as tenacity, resilience, and drive. Whatever you’re doing, this story may inspire you to keep going.
As I wrap up this list, I can’t help but to keep thinking about the books I’ve left off, and the books I want to read.
What about you? What are some of your favourites, new or old? What should I add to my reading list?
Keep on reading, listening, and telling great stories. Never forget how much stories matter — yours included.