Memoir Nation

Reyna Grande on Finding Beauty in Your Prison

We are back from our summer break with the first guest of our ninth season, Reyna Grande, in conversation about her new book, Migrant Heart. In this book, Reyna examines

Andre Dubus III and Marya Hornbacher on The Cost of Telling the Truth

This is the last of our summer Best-Of episodes, this one featuring clips from our interviews with Andre Dubus III and Marya Hornbacher. Yes, these two authors are legacy

Roxane Gay and Myriam Gurba on Refusing to Be Nice

These two former guests are partnered for their clear-eyed take on the world and their unwillingness to back down. Roxane Gay and Myriam Gurba are as loved as they are re

Jose Antonio Vargas and Beth Macy on Memoir That Changes Culture

During the month of August, Memoir Nation revisits its favorite guests of the past year. This week we’re pairing up powerhouse authors Jose Antonio Vargas and Beth Macy,

Kwame Alexander and E. Jean Carroll on the Power of Staying the Course

Happy August, Memoir Nation! As is our custom, we bring you our favorite guests of the past year, partnered by theme. This week we chose Kwame Alexander and E. Jean Carro

Roz Hernandez on the Freedom and Success of Not Being for Everyone

These week comedian Roz Hernandez opens up her heart and her story to us—and shares about the acceptance that comes when you stop trying to be “for everyone.” As a transg

Emily Rapp Black on Writing the Hardest Things

Memoir Nation explores the hardest things this week with guest Emily Rapp Black. Her new book is I Would Die If I Were You, part memoir, part how-to, that supports writer

Siri Hustvedt on Grief as Unrequited Love

This week’s show is a meditation on grief and the ways it weaves itself into our writing. Guest Siri Hustvedt says so many profound things about the writing process, abou

Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman on the Importance of Indie Media (and Celebrating the Relaunch of “The Rumpus”)

This week we’re taking a bit of a departure from all things memoir to celebrate independent media with Roxane Gay and Debbie Millman, who bought “The Rumpus” in 2025. We’

Rosebud Baker on Tragedy + Time = Memoir

So much of what’s funny stems from what’s terrible and tragic, and the funniest people are also often the darkest ones. This week we explore that truth with comedian Rose

Beronda Montgomery on Memoir as Testimony

This week’s show is a nuanced exploration of the various and creative ways memoir can be an exploration of identity, culture, and history, and how in unearthing our own s

Ronit Plank on Memoir Advocacy

This week’s episode will be a fast favorite because guest Ronit Plank is speaking the language of a memoir advocate. We get right to the heart of so many things that make

Eleni Sikelianos on How Subject Shapes Story

Form, form, form. We can’t stop circling it on Memoir Nation because everyone has a different approach to it. Mostly we’re taught that once you know your form, you can po

Beth Ann Fennelly on The Micro Memoir

If you’re a regular listener of Memoir Nation, you know we love to cover memoir in all its changing and emerging forms. The micro memoir is a form all its own—different f

Brandon Deyette on Writing in Another Voice

This week on Memoir Nation we take a specific guest with a specific skillset/talent and look at ways to apply what he does to our broader writing community. Guest Brandon

Ruth Reichl on Writing You Can Taste (and it’s our 400th episode!)

It’s our 400th episode and we’re celebrating with celebrated food critic and author Ruth Reichl! Ruth wrote her first food memoir before food memoir was a thing, and she

Gail Butensky and Grant Faulkner on Telling Stories to Photos

We’re late to celebrate Grant’s new book, something out there in the distance, so we’re doing it this week, bringing on his co-collaborator on the project, Gail Butensky.

Courtney Kocak on Writing Openly About Sex

Lots of writers want to write about sex and all the ways it shows up in their lives—and yet, it’s incredibly challenging to do. It’s exposing and uncomfortable. It means

Caroline Paul on the Tension Between Obsession and Letting Go

This week is a treat because at the heart of many memoirs are stories of people throwing themselves into meaningful distractions in order to not have to face the challeng

Danielle Bainbridge on Defying the Formula to Find Your Form

This week we’re talking about form with yet another memoirist who defied conventions to create something unique and beautiful. Guest Danielle Bainbridge’s new book of per