The Butterfly Hours: Transforming Memories into Memoir

Description

We all have stories to tell, and Patty Dann can help you bring them forth. With prompts and rules for writing, discover the power and pleasure of writing from your life. Featuring writing prompts and tips from one of the "great writing teachers of NYC," this guide to memoir writing will help you discover the power and pleasure of bringing your memories to life (New York Magazine) Sometimes all it takes is a single word to spark a strong memory. Bicycle. Snowstorm. Washing machine. By presenting one-word prompts and simple phrases, author and writing teacher Patty Dann gives us the keys to unlock our life stories. Organized around her ten rules for writing memoir, Dann's lyrical vignettes offer glimpses into her own life while, surprisingly, opening us up to our own. This book is a small but powerful guide and companion for anyone wanting to get their own story on the page. We all have stories to tell, and Patty Dann can help you bring them forth.

PATTY DANN was cited by New York magazine as one of the "Great Teachers of NYC." She has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University and a BA from the University of Oregon. She has taught at Sarah Lawrence College and the West Side YMCA, where she currently teaches memoir classes. Her class used to be limited to students ages fifty-five and over because she found that it often took decades for people to write the truth, but now she opens her classes to all ages. Dann is the author of three novels, including Mermaids, which was turned into a film starring Cher, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, and Bob Hoskins, and two memoirs. She lives in New York City.

"Patty Dann has collected 25 years of teaching experience in this generous book of advice to writers. She delivers a series of prompts that open up tiny worlds of memory and feeling. If God is in the details, God is here."-Betsy Lerner, author of The Forest for the Trees "Seamlessly blending writing wisdom with memoir, The Butterfly Hours promises to spark not only your writing, but also your heart. This book is a testament to why writing continues to be one of humankind's most essential superpowers."-Laraine Herring, author of Writing Begins with the Breath and On Being Stuck "If all books could be this wonderful! From the first page, I fell in love with Patty Dann's warm, witty, sound advice and the glimpses into her own life. Refreshingly modest and gently profound, The Butterfly Hours is a treasure-and the perfect present for all who feel they have memories to share. Brava, Patty Dann. I so loved this book."-Elinor Lipman, author of The View from Penthouse B and I Can't Complain