Let’s Talk Memoir

• 209. Reclaiming Identity and Trusting Our Own Process featuring Heather Sweeney

  Heather Sweeney joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about her quest to find out who she was apart from her life as a military wife, mining 20 years worth of journals, uncovering internal dynamics through writing, knowing where to begin a memoir, managing multiple settings with a chronological timeline, cutting redundancies, retitling a memoir late in the game, killing our darlings, writing about exes, coping strategies, reclaiming identity, being true to our own writing process, and her new memoir Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage.   Also in this episode: -writing when you can -the e-structure -brainstorming for titles Books mentioned in this episode: -Seven Drafts Allison K. Williams -Wild by Cheryl Strayed -On Writing by Stephen King -Bird by Bird by Anne Lammott -Big Magic by Elizabeth GIlbert -Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -The Book Bible by Sue Shapiro -A Thousand Words by Jamie Attenberg   Heather Sweeney is the author of the memoir Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage. She writes about divorce, life as a military spouse, parenting, and women’s health, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, HuffPost, TODAY.com, Newsweek, Business Insider, Good Housekeeping, Healthline, Grown and Flown, Military.com, and many others. She lives in Virginia with her boyfriend, two college-aged kids, and their geriatric Labrador retriever. Connect with Heather: Website: https://www.heatherlsweeney.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersweeney  Threads: https://www.threads.net/@writersweeney  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heathersweeneywrites  Substack: https://heathersweeney.substack.com/  Amazon: http://posthill.to/B0F316HJTD Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/camouflage-heather-sweeney/1147211233 Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/camouflage-how-i-emerged-from-the-shadows-of-a-military-marriage-heather-sweeney/22522585 Target: https://www.target.com/p/camouflage-by-heather-sweeney-paperback/-/A-1003183204   – Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit’s Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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• 208. Leaning into and Trusting the Particularity of Our Story featuring Kelly Foster Lundquist

  Kelly Foster Lundquist joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about falling in love with creative nonfiction, believing our story is worth sharing, contemplating how to tell it without hurting someone else, shifting from writing academically to personally, taking 20 years to complete a memoir, leaning into and trusting the particularity of our story, learning to stop explaining in our manuscripts, trying different structural approaches, the pattern hungry brain, incorporating culture, history, and research, when writing feels redemptive, liberating, and affirming, and her new memoir Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage.   Also in this episode: -gratitude -conversion therapy -when a story feels too sacred   Books mentioned in this episode: -The Argonauts by Maggie Nelston -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Books by Allison K. Williams -Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salessas   Kelly Foster Lundquist teaches writing at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Originally from Mississippi, Lundquist has taught writing all over the United States (Boston, Chicago, Mississippi, Seattle, California, etc), as well as in Slovakia and Scotland. Her poetry and nonfiction can be seen in many places, including Villain Era Lit, Last Syllable Lit, Whale Road Review, and Image Journal. Her work has been nominated for a 2024 Best of the Net Award as well as a Pushcart Prize. She is the recipient of grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board as well as the Central Minnesota Arts Board. Her book Beard: A Memoir of a Marriage (Eerdmans) will debut in October 2025. She lives in a little red house in Minnesota with her spouse and daughter.  Connect with Kelly: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyfosterlundquist Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EgWxeL94v/?mibextid=wwXIfr Website: https://www.kellyfosterlundquist.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/beard-a-memoir-of-a-marriage-kelly-foster-lundquist/22424165?ean=9780802884732&next=t   – Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit’s Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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• 207. Growing as a Person and as a Writer featuring Shigeko Ito

  Shigeko Ito joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about the lasting impact of childhood emotional neglect, how invisible trauma can manifest in adult life, fragmented memories, facing a fierce inner critic, accepting limits, growing as a person and as a writer, when the back story feels as important and relevant as the front story, the often chaotic experience of managing lots of material, becoming more compassionate, the healing power of storytelling, the generational trauma we inherit, using our experience to help others, and her new memoir The Pond Beyond the Forest: Reflections on Childhood Trauma and Motherhood.   Also in this episode: -not giving up -our authentic selves -viewing our work from a larger picture   Books mentioned in this episode: -Writing Without a Parachute:The Art of Freefall by Barbara Turner-Vesselago  -Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -Old Friend from Far Away by Natalie Goldberg -Your Life as Story by Tristine Rainer -Immersion and Emotion: The Two Pillars of Storytelling by Michelle Barker   Shigeko Ito is an author, educator, and mental health advocate in Seattle who  grew up in Japan and immigrated to the United States in her early twenties to pursue higher education. She holds an MEd in early childhood education with an integrated Montessori teaching credential from the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California, and a PhD in Education from Stanford University.  Her articles have appeared on the CPTSD Foundation's blog and on the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) website. She has spent many years teaching at a Montessori preschool in Seattle, where she lives with her husband of thirty years.  Her new memoir is The Pond Beyond the Forest: Reflections on Childhood Trauma and Motherhood.   Connect with Shigeko: Website: shigekoito.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/shigekoitomemoir Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/shigekochakoito LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shigekoito-memoir Twitter/X: x.com/ShigekoChakoIto Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/shigekoito.bsky.social The Pond Beyond the Forest: Reflections on Childhood Trauma and Motherhood is available at major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes &; Noble, and Apple Books. However, the official purchase link is: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Pond-Beyond-the-Forest/Shigeko-Ito/9781647429805   – Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit’s Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank   Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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• 206. Changing the Culture of Abuse and Family Dysfunction Through Memoir featuring Leslie Johansen Nack

  Leslie Johansen Nack joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about growing up with parents who struggled with mental illness and substance abuse, surviving an inappropriate and domineering father, getting tools to heal, making ourselves safe, knowing as a child you will write your story, becoming sober, portraying difficult and abusive people as whole human beings, writing a memoir like a novel, when family members disavow our memoirs, excavating the divided self on the page, grappling with feeling exposed, telling the truth to help move the cultural needle, and her new memoir Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery.   *Seattle area listeners, Leslie and Ronit will be in conversation at Third Place Books Ravenna on Tuesday, October 28th 2025 at 7:00. Reserve your spot here: https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/leslie-johansen-nack Also in this episode: -overcoming past trauma -writing a memoir sequel -when siblings respond to our memoir differently   Book mentioned in this episode: Liars Club by Mary Karr The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Wild by Cheryl Strayed American Daughter by Stephanie Thornton Plymale How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair Unearthed: On Race and Roots, and How the Soil Taught Me I Belong by Claire Ratinon Leslie Johansen Nack is the author of two award-winning books: her debut memoir, Fourteen, and her historical novel, The Blue Butterfly. Hersequel, Nineteen: A Daughter’s Memoir of Reckoning and Recovery, a Zibby most anticipated book for 2025, concludes her raw and deeply personal story, chronicling her path to sobriety and a renewed sense of hope. Nack graduated from UCLA with a degree in English literature and overcame past traumas to raise two children in a healthy, loving home. She is a member of NAMW, the Historical Novel Society, and the PNWA. She lives outside Seattle with her husband.    Connect with Leslie: Website: www.lesliejohansennack.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lesliejohansennack/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Leslie.johansen.nack/ YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqImTCBk_TIKCpA7NSWHbbQ Get the book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/search/books/_/N-/Ntt-Leslie+Johansen+Nack   – Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit’s Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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• 205. Pushing Boundaries and Experimenting with the Flash Form featuring Sue William Silverman

  Sue William Silverman joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about evolving as a writer and bringing freshness to the same subject, experimenting with truncated and fractured forms, making a collection more cohesive, writing to feel centered, utilizing a recurring persona, the divided self in memoir, trusting the pieces will fall into place, giving ourselves new challenges, leaning into sensory details, writing as imagistically as possible, focusing on our obsessions, claiming our story, and her new collection Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader.   Also in this episode: -using metaphor -our core narratives -casting a light on the narrator’s interiority Books and resources mentioned in this episode: -Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly -flash essays at Brevitymag.com -find Sue’s complete list of book recommendations at SueWilliamSilverman.com   Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of nine works of nonfiction and poetry. Her new book, "Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader," is a collection of flash essays. Her book on the craft of writing, "Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul," won the 2024 IPPY Silver Award. Her memoir-in essays collection, "How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences," won the gold star in Foreword Reviews INDIE Book of the Year Award and the Clara Johnson Award for Women’s Literature. Other works include "Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction," made into a Lifetime TV movie; "Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You," which won the AWP Award; and "The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew." She’s co-chair of the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her media appearances include The View, Anderson Cooper-360, and PBS Books.  Connect with Sue: Website: www.SueWilliamSilverman.com Facebook: SueWilliamSilverman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suewilliamsilverman University of Nebraska Press: https://tinyurl.com/mwph3wvs Bookshop.org: https://tinyurl.com/56n9u9p5 Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/bsa7ay22   – Ronit’s writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer’s Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts’ 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories.  She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit’s Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social   Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll’s Fingers

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