Modern American Memoirs: 1917-1992
About this ebook
“Packed with superb writing.” — New York Newsday
Modern American Memoirs is a sampling from 35 quintessential 20th century memoirs, including contributions from Margaret Mead, Malcolm X, Maxine Hong Kingston, Loren Eisely, and Zora Neale Hurston. Supremely written and excellent examples of the art of biography, these excerpts present a beautifully wide range of American life.
Selected and edited by Annie Dillard and Cort Conley, this essential collection offers a masterclass in the art of storytelling:
- Classic Memoirs: Read excerpts from thirty-five of the 20th century’s most important autobiographies, featuring luminaries like Henry Adams, Hamlin Garland, and Wallace Stegner.
- Powerful American Voices: Experience pivotal moments in history through the eyes of icons like Malcolm X, Richard Wright, Anne Moody, and Zora Neale Hurston.
- The Art of the Memoir: Discover the craft of narrative nonfiction in an introduction by Annie Dillard that explores what makes a personal story true and unforgettable.
- A Nation of Stories: Journey from the plains of the American West and the immigrant experience of the Bronx to the rural South in this panoramic view of American life.
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About the author
Annie Dillard is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, The Writing Life, The Living and The Maytrees. She is a member of the Academy of Arts and Letters and has received fellowship grants from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
