Personal Memoir Assignment Guidelines

Personal Memoir Assignment GuidelinesThis assignment is designed to have you move beyond the personal essay that you may already be more familiar with, into writing a more focused and specific type of reflection. This essay is going to ask you to reflect on one past memory associated with a family recipe or a food that your family used to eat often. It needs to be something that you have a clear memory of watching being made, making yourself, eating, etc.; you need to have specific details present for this memoir.At the top of the page should be:Your nameENGL 101-20 or 26Ms. KlemmFebruary 13, 2015For the Personal Memoir you will need to complete the following:Write 2-3 pages double-spaced. (Memoir needs to be at least 2 full pages)Be in 12 pt. font, with 1 inch marginsFocus on one specific memoryHave an emphasis on details (of surroundings and environment)Cover the W’s—who (you), what (the memory), where (details of event), when (further details), why (why this one specific memory has stuck with you, what does it mean in connection with your present?)Make sure that the beginning and the ending of the writing serve as a frameworkPut the past event into a present context, make connectionsShow the reader the emotions (mental, physical, etc.) present in the memory by being descriptive.Make sure not only to reflect on the past event, but also to ANALYZE the memory. This analysis should show the reader why this memory is important to you, and asks you to think critically about the details surrounding the event. You need to move beyond simply recounting the memory, and instead attempt to show the reader the deeper meaning behind why you chose this one memory.