Page 6 - Jewish News_November-2020

6A November 2020
People of the Book: The art of the memoir
By Gayle Guynup
he People of the Book Author
Lecture Series of virtual events,
Tsponsored by The Jewish Fed- father when he dies after a decade-long
eration of Sarasota-Manatee, contin-
ues in November with four authors and
their memoirs. The week-long series
begins on Monday, November 2 at 7:00
p.m. with Alexandra Silber, author of
White Hot Grief Parade. It will be fol-
lowed on Tuesday, November 3 at 2:00
p.m. by Bess Kalb, author of Nobody
Will Tell You This But Me; Wednesday,
November 4 at 7:00 p.m. with Jason B.
Rosenthal, author of My Wife Said You
May Want to Marry Me; and Thursday,
November 5 at 2:00 p.m. with Par-
naz Foroutan and her book Home is a
Stranger.
Alexandra Silber /
White Hot Grief Parade
Alexandra “Al” Silber, who lives in
New York City, is an actress and Gram- a teenager. Lost in grief, Al and her
my-nominated singer who starred as mother hardly know how to begin to
Tzeitel in the Broadway revival of
Fiddler on the Roof. Her other credits
include Carousel, Kiss Me Kate and power of family and friendship – and
FEDERATION NEWS
Cabaret. In White Hot Grief Parade, the unbreakable bond, even in death, known, and most human beings love
Silber shares the story of the loss of her between father and daughter. nothing more than snuggling up and
How is writing a memoir differ- getting all cozy with certainty. The
ent from other forms of writing or trouble is, certainty hardly ever truly
storytelling? exists in our lives. The greatest fears
Memoir comes from the French all living things hold within them is
word mémoire, meaning reminiscence. the loss of someone they love, and the
I love the word reminiscence, and I feel loss of their own lives. Taking death
it captures the art of memoir perfect- and grief out and looking at them di-
ly. It is distinct from autobiography in rectly seems unpleasant, unnecessary
that it focuses on the memoirist’s/nar- and downright grim, but it removes the
rator’s memories and personal reflec- stigma from a human experience every
tions (rather than a collection of facts), single one of us is going to have sooner
and is distinct from fiction, of course, or later. My suggestion is to very sim-
because it is based on the true events ply think and talk about it. The more
of someone’s life. It feels like an oddly you accept the reality of death and
private, confessional conversation with grief, the more you can get on with the
a close friend who happens to be a total business of truly investing in and fully
stranger. Also interesting for an actor living your life.
who writes is the distinction between What did you learn about your-
battle with cancer, when she was just acting and writing. Acting (particularly self by writing this memoir?
theatrical acting) is a social art form: Hopefully, when we all look back
one meant to be created and consumed at the worst moment of our lives, we
rebuild their lives. White Hot Grief in a collective. Writing, meanwhile, is continue to review how we could and
Parade is an ode to the restorative a solitary art: one meant to be created would do better. I found hope, I found
and consumed in solitude. I have found strength, humor, gratitude and, ulti-
that merging these two mately, peace. I chronicled the memo-
disciplines has en- ries much as I experienced them, at one
riched my life immea- moment poignant and devastating, the
surably. next flat-out hilarious or even prepos-
What life lessons terous, followed by more honest dev-
do you hope people astation. That is, of course, much how
take away from your life ebbs and flows. We laugh through
book? our tears. We cry in moments of joy.
Society so often I documented the memories as I re-
avoids talking about called them, in all their genre-busting
death, dying and grief. detail.
Death is the Great Un- continued on next page
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