Handling the Truth

“Intense, provocative, endearing, and kind.”—Colleen Mondor, Booklist

“Beth Kephart has done something extraordinary with this huge and messy thing called memoir—roping it into submission with her typically beautifully writing. There is authority here, scholarship, challenge. In this well-organized book, every example is a precious stone to turn over and to learn from, particularly in terms of crafting a voice and finding one's way in. Too many students think memoir just happens. Nothing ever just happens. Memoir is an academic field. This should become the seminal text.”—Buzz Bissinger, author of Father's Day, A Prayer for the City, and Friday Night Lights

“Kephart…has composed a gorgeous meditation on memoir. . . . she has created a work of art simply by reflecting on her own art—the writing and teaching of memoir. . . . She writes with the same lyricism found in her own works and offers here passionate encouragement for would-be memoir writers to embrace truth and empathy, mystery and exploration. . . . Highly recommended for anyone interested in the anatomy of a successful memoir and for all writers of literary nonfiction.”—Library Journal, starred review