Thursday, April 27, 2017

Memoirs of Troubled Times

"Memoir: Troubled Times" was one of my favorite at the LA Times Festival of Books this year (Panel 1044).  

Freddy Negrete discussed his memoir Smile Now, Cry Later and his current career as a tatoo artist.  His book reveals how he was recruited by an LA gang, sold drugs, and escaped that life.

Maggie Rowe's memoir is titled Sin Bravely: A Memoir of Spiritual Disobedience.  It's a brave story of growing up in a conservative Christian family where the fear of hellfire and damnation was drilled into her.  As a young adult, she becomes so fearful that she spends time in a psychiatric ward.  Today she is a stand-up comedian, actress, and screenplay writer.  

Rob Roberge writes in his memoir Liar about being bipolar, using drugs, recovery, and lying his way out of situations.

Moderator of the panel was Samantha Dunn, with whom I took several memoir courses a few years ago.  Since then she's married and now has an 8-year-old son.

I only bought one book from this session, much as I would have liked to buy all three.  Of course, that book is Sin Bravely.  I will review it for the Christian Feminism Today website, www.eewc.com.

I mentioned the website to Maggie, and she visited it.  She like the article "Was Esther a Post-Colonial Feminist?" by Princess O'Nika Auguste.  https://eewc.com/esther-post-colonial-feminist/

Moderators
avatar for Samantha Dunn

Samantha Dunn

Dunn is a journalist and the author of the critically acclaimed novel “Failing Paris” and the bestselling memoirs, “Not By | Accident; Reconstructing a Careless Life” and “Faith in Carlos Gomez.” Dunn teaches at both the UCLA Writers Program and Idyllwild Arts Academy. She works as associate editor of Coast Magazine, a regional arts and lifestyle publication.

Speakers
avatar for Freddy Negrete

Freddy Negrete

Negrete's memoir "Smile Now, Cry Later" is a riveting narrative that takes the reader from Freddy's days as a cholo gang member to pioneering black-and-gray tattoo artist to evangelical preacher to Hollywood body-art consultant to addiction counselor. His story is a testament to the spark within us all that gives us the strength to survive and transform what would otherwise destroy us.
avatar for Rob Roberge

Rob Roberge

Roberge is the author of four books of fiction and most recently the memoir, "Liar" (Crown, 2016), which was a Barnes and Noble Discover New Writers selection, chosen for several best of 2016 lists, with the New Yorker saying "…both the smallest and biggest pieces of this memoir fascinate." His work has been described as "Drop dead gorgeous and mind-bendingly smart" by Cheryl Strayed.
avatar for Maggie Rowe

Maggie Rowe

For the last fifteen years, Rowe has performed in and produced the Comedy Central stage show “sit ‘n’ spin,” Los Angeles' longest running spoken word show, having taken over the reins from creator, Jill Soloway. She has written for “Arrested Development” and “Flaked” for Netflix. She co-wrote the screenplay for and directed the New Age mockumentary "Bright | Day" and is the creator of the theatrical satires Hollywood Hellhouse... Read More →

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