Today's episode starts with a conversation with John Evans, a Lecturer in Nonfiction in the Creative Writing Department at Stanford University. John was Liz's memoir writing teacher during her year as a Fellow in Stanford's Distinguished Careers Institute. Their conversation is about why people get interested in memoir writing and why being in a memoir writing group can be so meaningful. John leads groups and workshops through Memoir Mentors His two published memoirs are Young Widower: A Memoir (University of Nebraska Press, 2014), and Should I Still Wish: A Memoir. (University of Nebraska Press, 2017)

In the second half of the episode, Liz and Leah discuss what they learned about themselves by using The Values Bridge, an assessment tool created by Suzy Welch of the NYU Stern School of Business.

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Homework:

More about John's writing: John Evans Author Page

Recommended Memoirs:

Arthur Ashe, Days of Grace: A Memoir. Arthur Ashe's poignant memoir was co-written with Arnold Rampersad and published posthumously in 1993.

Katherine Graham, Personal History. Pulitzer Prize 1998. The fascinating story of the woman who changed American history running The Washington Post.

Michelle Zauner, Crying In H Mart. A 2021 memoir by Zauner of the band Japanese Breakfast about her Korean-American family and identity.

Other recommendations from John Evan’s syllabus:

Dani Shapiro, Inheritance

Annie Dillard, Living Like Weasels

Samuel Wilson Fussell, Muscle - Confessions of an Unlikely Bodybuiilder

The Values Bridge:

Suzy Welch Becoming You book and newsletter.

Assessment Tool developed by Suzy Welch: The Values Bridge

If you are new to Lizness School, we suggest you listen to Season 1 to hear all about Liz's year as a Stanford Fellow. Everything from Neuroscience and Chinese History to Pickleball! Plus a great community experience with her fellow DCI Fellows.

Season 2 is about how she puts her lessons to work in the wild with the help of her millennial mentor Leah Sutherland.

To listen to Liz +. Leah's recap of Lizness School Season 1, go to our FINALE here.

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S2E11: Memoir Writing with John Evans, The Values Bridge