2-3 pages

Essay 1: Memoir

Length:2-3 pages double-spaced ONLY! Do  not exceed. 

Format:MLA format, Times New Roman, Size 12, 1-inch margins

Who we are is shaped by a variety of factors, and one way to understand ourselves is to reflect on our past experiences and consider how they impact the present. A memoir gives you a chance to create a written snapshot of specific moments in your life, and to make meaning from them in a way that appeals to readers. You will rely on your memory and personal experience as the source of ideas. Sensory detail, description, dialogue, narration, and organization will translate your memories into an interesting and cohesive story for the reader.

For this essay, you will write about an event in your life that shaped your individual identity. It could be something that happened to you or that you observed, an encounter with a person who greatly influenced you, a decision that you made, or a challenge or obstacle that you faced, etc. “Identity” normally encompasses what we believe, how we act, who we are, how we see the world, how we define our purpose—and it could be related to various aspects of our life (ethnicity/culture, traditions/ rituals, talents/ interests, family, religion, education, personality).

Audience & Purpose:

Think of your audience as others who will understand you a bit better after reading your memoir. If you are too inward-focused, then your memoir will seem like a diary entry; therefore, you want to keep your audience interested and make your story worth reading. Don’t just talk about identity or the topic, and don’t just tell us what you thought. Make the reader feel that he or she is re-living the experience(s) with you—focus on one specific moment or a couple of moments in time and what they reveal.

Genre Conventions:

Memoirs usually rely on conventions such as

• first-person narration; intimacy between narrator and reader


• sharing of thoughts and feelings past and present


• dominant impression/implicit thesis that focuses essay


• conflict, complication, change, surprise, revelation, growth, or significance


• vivid details and description of people/places/events


• an organized but interesting narrative structure

Topic Choices:

{Instructor May Give Choices or Limit to One}

1. PLACE:Write about a place that has shaped your identity, focusing on its distinct characteristics and a few of the most defining experiences at that place.


2. TRADITION:Write about a family or cultural tradition that has shaped your identity, exploring its importance and some of the recurring memories associated with it.


3. OBJECT:Write about an inanimate object(not a person or animal) that holds significant value for you and reveals a part of your identity (past, present, or future), considering the origins of it, its meaning to you, and its impact.


4. LITERACY:Write about one or a few of the most significant educational / literacy experiences (reading/writing/learning) and how they shaped your attitude toward reading and writing, thus creating an identity that still impacts your reaction to current literacy practices.


5. POP CULTURE:Write about one or a couple of pop culture texts in the same genre (songs, movies, books, shows, games) that shaped your identity at a key age or moment in time (like childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood; or during a specific experience like motherhood or an illness), considering their impact and meaning for you personally.

Grading Rubric:

Your essay will be graded on the following qualities—their specifics dictated by the genre and topic:

• Focus & Thesis


• Content & Development


• Organization


• Grammar & Style