The best thing to ever happen to you

The Best Thing to Ever Happen to You is a memoir that seeks to explore the dynamics of change in a woman’s life, especially adolescence and motherhood. These stories follow a young woman as she comes of age, capturing and evoking moments when she questions her beliefs, her roots and her role as a mother. Each essay invites the reader to enter and experience the words set to these pages and re-examine life through their lens. This project is divided into six parts, with an introductory essay for each, and another, longer essay that follows. Each part begins with musings on beds – a lyrical approach to discovering life based on where one sleeps and the lessons learned therein. The opening pieces frame the manuscript, creating a thread to follow life’s journey, and the section after each is directly tied to the same time period, although not necessarily limited to that specific phase – they often utilize a braided approach to reveal moments, thoughts and progression for a variety of ages. In the Critical Introduction, I address the genre of memoir and discuss important authors and theorists of creative writing, such as Phillip Lopate and Brenda Miller. I also reference feminist theorists such as Adrienne Rich and Hélène Cixous. At the heart of memoir is the attempt to bring to the surface discussion of memory, how it plays out in each individual, shapes us. Creative nonfiction, in any form, also provides avenues to show similarities we all share. I believe it is essential for women writers to participate wholeheartedly in sharing their own stories and act to support one another in these endeavors to ensure a more accurate view of her perspective, grasp equal exposure in all literary spheres.