For Love of Memoir

For the Love of MemoirCalling all memoir junkies! 🎙️ This channel is dedicated to raw, honest conversations with memoir authors and industry insiders. We dig into the stories behind the stories—what it takes to write them, survive them, and share them. Whether you're an aspiring writer or just love a good, real-life narrative, you’re in the right place. New episodes drop regularly. Subscribe and join the journey🎥 Watch full interviews on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ForLoveOfMemoir📲 Follow us on Instagram: @ForLoveOfMemoir💬 Share your favorite memoir with us here: 4theloveofmemoir@gma

For Love of Memoir is a arts podcast hosted by Erin Swanson, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Erin Swanson hosts For Love of Memoir, a arts show with 29 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  For Love of Memoir

  Willima Holst on the Life and Music of Alan Hovanas

  Aug 9, 202649 min

  What does it mean to finish a story someone else could no longer complete?In this episode, I sit down with William Holst to talk about completing his late mother Hinako Fujihara's final project—a biography of acclaimed composer Allan Hovhaness that became something more than a historical account. It became a love story, a family legacy, and a tribute to two remarkable lives. Together, we explore what it means to preserve another writer's voice, balancing editorial decisions with authenticity, the responsibility of carrying forward someone else's dream, and why Allan Hovhaness's music continues to resonate decades after his death.Whether you're interested in memoir, biography, music, or the stories we leave behind, this conversation is ultimately about legacy—and the people who choose to protect it.Learn more about Alan Hovaness and purchase the book here:https://alanhovhanessmusic.com

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  For Love of Memoir

  On Second Thought, Maybe I Can with Debbie Weiss

  Jul 26, 20261h 13m

  What happens when you stop saying "I can't" and start asking "Maybe I can?" In this episode, I sit down with memoirist Debbie Weiss totalk about the mindset shift that changed the course of her life and inspiredher memoir, On Second Thought... Maybe I Can . Debbie shares how writing her memoir helped her see her ownstory differently, why ordinary lives are worth writing about, and how findingher authentic voice on the page gave her permission to stop trying to be anyonebut herself. We also explore victimhood versus agency, writing later inlife, trusting the reader, and what memoir can reveal about the stories we'vebeen telling ourselves.

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  For Love of Memoir

  Finding Fantastic Joy with Leah Johnson

  Jul 14, 202658 min

  What happens when the life you've worked so hard to build no longer feels like your own?Before becoming an author, Leah Johnson spent years building a successful career in politics, advocating for others and helping shape public policy. But behind that success, she was struggling to advocate for herself.One line from our conversation has stayed with me:"I spent a lifetime building advocacy campaigns for everyone else but myself."In this episode, we explore success, identity, addiction, creativity, and what it takes to choose a life that feels aligned with who you really are.It's a conversation about memoir, but it's also a conversation about the courage to rewrite the stories we've been living.🎙️ Listen wherever you enjoy podcasts.@ForLoveOfMemoirFollow Leah and purchase a copy of Finding Fantastic Joy here:https://www.findingfantasticjoy.com/

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  For Love of Memoir

  Writing Memories with Matthew Kiell

  Jun 28, 20261h 2m

  In this episode of *For Love of Memoir*, Erin Swanson is joined by memoirist Matthew Kiell for a conversation about the fascinating challenge of writing from memory.Together, they explore the relationship between memory and truth, why memoir doesn't require perfect recall, and how writers can faithfully reconstruct the past while remaining honest about what they know, what they don't know, and what memory leaves behind.Matthew shares his approach to memoir structure, the role of scene and reflection, and the important distinction between fictionalizing events and writing authentically from lived experience. Whether you're writing your own memoir or simply curious about how memory shapes the stories we tell, this conversation offers thoughtful insights into the craft of transforming life into literature.Purchase a copy of A Memory Mosaic here:https://a.co/d/039JI3mX

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  For Love of Memoir

  Mindset, Mushrooms, and Meaning with John Borden

  Jun 14, 202657 min

  This week, I’m joined by John Borden, author of *Your Mindset Is Your Reality*, a memoir exploring the profound impact a psilocybin experience had on his understanding of himself and the world around him.John shares the winding path that led him through addiction, entrepreneurship, personal loss, and ultimately a moment that challenged many of the beliefs he had carried for decades. What followed was a deeper examination of identity, happiness, purpose, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.In our conversation, we explore self-awareness, personal responsibility, and the relationship between the narratives we create and the lives we live.Buy Johns book here:https://a.co/d/007j49MG

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