We’ve been meaning to share this great New York Times piece with you for several weeks now. Our favorite quote:
“A moment of silence, please, for the lost art of shutting up.”
In all seriousness, while we think Neil Genzlinger is a little harsh on some of the authors he alludes to in the piece, he does make some terrific (and pretty funny) points about “the current age of oversharing” and the “if it happened to me, it must be interesting fallacy.”
In fact, we’d like to add a fifth guideline to his list: Think twice about writing a memoir if you are under the age of 50. The rash of 20-somethings disgorging their-lives-to-that-point trend has gone a little overboard!
That said, if you’ve got your heart set on writing a memoir, don’t despair. If you tell your story with enough perspective, honesty, and insight, it’s sure to strike a chord.
– WLT Staff