Archive for the ‘Life Writing’ Category
Detachment writing and how it helped me to reclaim my voice
I recently wrote a short story about a little girl. I wrote about her pain and confusion. I wrote about her loneliness and, also, about glimmers of hope and happiness she carried in her heart. I wrote about her amazing..
Writing our way through 2021
I hope you have a new diary ready for 2021. I have three. I chose one, and two are gifts. 2021 is shaping up to be my most prolific diary-writing year yet! I look forward to becoming acquainted with these..
The evolution of a diary into a self-healer
My first diary was a Christmas gift in 1962, the same year I developed anorexia nervosa. I was 11 years old. The diary and I bonded immediately and diary-writing has been part of my life every day since. The entry..
When disaster re-ignites past trauma, reach out
Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the cause is visible and sometimes it is not. The bushfires blazing over much of eastern Australia, including my beloved childhood region of East Gippsland, are sparking trauma for many people. The..
It’s time to talk about — why I love my diary
Dear Diary welcomes entries from diarists everywhere. This week, guest diarist Yasemin Merwende shares her love of journal writing in relation to National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. “Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.” ― Christina Baldwin My first diary..
Never under-estimate the story-telling power of a French fry
Sharing our stories can assist self-validation in surprising and enriching ways. The unlikely hero in this story is a French fry. Diarist friend Karyn was out shopping, browsing in various stores, when a little bird on a small, white wooden..
Writing a memoir through drawing on personal diaries and other keepsakes
Fashioning a memoir out of a diary requires threads and themes to be picked up and woven into a story that the writer and publisher believes will appeal to and connect with readers. Many re-writes may occur in selecting raw..
Reviews for A Girl Named Tim
A Girl Called Tim is a treasure from the heart to the hearts and minds of others as it invites a compassionate understanding of these painful illnesses. June Alexander’s ability and willingness to create such a memoir is a gift...
About A Girl Called Tim
I waited until I was almost 60 (a grandmother!) before I wrote my memoir, A Girl Called Tim. I had wanted to write my story for more than 30 years and suddenly the time was right. The answer as to..
Life writing and social history
2001: In 1931, The Weekly Times newspaper launched a new section dedicated to women’s issues. This became an immediate hit, and the column’s editor, Miranda, became an instant friend to thousands of women struggling to cope with the Depression. This book..