Artful Truths: The Philosophy of Memoir
An accessible, concise and comprehensive guide to the main metaphysical, epistemic and ethical issues that arise when writing a story about your own life. What, if anything, makes memoir distinct from fiction? What kind of truth should memoirists aim for, and why? What do memoirists owe those they write about? What’s the point of writing a memoir? Side quests into the nature of the self, the limits of knowledge, the idea of truth, the obligations of friendship, the relationship between morality and art, and the question of what makes a life meaningful. (University of Chicago Press, 2021.)
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Related Media
In Defense of Memoirs
On skepticism about narrative. Aeon, 2021.
But What About Mom?
On the ethics of writing about others. Brevity, 2021.
An Effort at Reconcilation
Interview with philosopher-memoirist Lea Ypi, for The Raven, 2023.
The Scandalous Truth About Memoir
Interview on Philosophy Talk radio show. .
Artful Truths
Interview for New Books Network.
The Best Books to Read if You’re Thinking of Writing a Memoir
My hand-picked guide, for Shepherd.