Memories in Present Tense
Writing memoir is the often messy attempt of one individual to translate events, relationships, trauma, shame, fear, joy, and discovery into a universal narrative that appeals to a broad readership.
It requires sometimes painful recall, emotional vulnerability, assignment of meaning, navigation of ethics, and careful structuring of a compelling narrative that can and should be transformative and cathartic for both writer and reader.
It represents careful, deliberate placement of a filtered self and curated ideas onto pages filled with words that may have different meanings to different audiences, yet somehow comprise a story that is perceived by many to have some shared human significance and value.
Conna Bond has written memoir in snippets and essays over years and decades. She is working to bring a bigger story to life that hopefully will comfort and encourage readers who have experienced trauma, grief, identity loss, and addiction in addition to resurgence of a new and empowering acceptance and sense of meaning.