Defined as a literary account of a life or event written from personal experience, memoirs are one of the most consistently compelling (and best-selling) genres on the market. They represent an attempt to create a shared memory with a reader. Think of it as the literary version of a strand of memory floating in Dumbledore’s, pensive (except no pen is as honest or as infallible as a wand). For famous authors, memoirs often serve as a place to set the record straight on the controversial and important events of their public life. Yet memoirs by unknown authors still find their way to the best-seller lists, some authors make entire careers out of writing memoirs. Why are they so irresistible? In this class, we will attempt to answer this question by reading famous examples, exploring techniques for turning memory into story, and ultimately developing our own memoirs. If you are at all interested in thinking about and writing about your life, this is a class for you. Texts may include: Reading Lolita in Tehran, Dreams from My Father, The Glass Castle, A Moveable Feast, and Fun Home along with excerpts from others.