When we’re not reading submissions, we’re diving into our own favorite nonfiction books! From gripping memoirs to fascinating histories, here are the books that our staff can’t stop recommending.
Addison Paulsen - Acquisitions Editor
The book follows writer, Mitch Albom, as he visits his old college professor who was dying of ALS. Morrie Schwartz recounted the lessons in life he had learned to Mitch during their visits. This book showed me that we are only granted one life and instead of holding onto regrets or the past, we should be living each day in the present moment.
“We need to forgive ourselves. For all the things we didn't do. All the things we should have done. You can't get stuck on the regrets of what should have happened.”
Jordan Vander Werf - Social Media Manager
Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Naifeh and Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials to bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist: his early struggles to find his place in the world; his intense relationship with his brother Theo; and his move to Provence, where he painted some of the best-loved works in Western art.
“But in the face of continuing frustration and failure, he had always left open another way of defining success. If an artist had sufficient passion, he argued whenever self-doubt overwhelmed him, nothing else mattered: not the ability, not technique, not sales, not even the art itself.”
Piper Kearney - Editor-In-Chief
“The Glass Castle” is a masterclass in memoir and a great introduction to the nonfiction genre. Readers follow the three Walls children across the western United States, guided by their dysfunctional and free-spirited parents. The smooth dialogue and descriptions of landscape read like fiction, but the nonfiction format allows each family member such complexity and grace. Equal parts cruel and charismatic, Walls gives the reader little choice but to share her unrelenting faith in her father and their way of life—however misguided.
“Instead of the flat desert edged by craggy mountains, the land rolled and dipped like a sheet when you shook it clean.”
Riley Shell - Assistant Typeset Designer
The Clutters were your average family living in a small town in Kansas. Despite their innocuous nature, two killers picked them as their target for a midnight murder. The novel explores the lives and motivations of the Clutter family murderers as they await death row. Offers an interesting perspective on death row victims, the psychology behind violent crimes, and moral duality.
Review: 4/5 stars
“I thought that Mr. Clutter was a very nice gentleman. I thought so right up to the moment that I cut his throat.”
Kylie Foerster - Web Editor
The memoir focuses on Malala reintroducing herself to the world, taking readers through her adult years after the Taliban's attack that caught the attention of the world. Malala showcases her navigation through high school, college, falling in love, and friendship. Her memoir is a raw, vulnerable insight into her life behind cameras and what it is really like to be a global role model and advocate. I found this memoir unique to others I have read and felt that it contains many lessons I could benefit from, especially in my college years.
“You might inherit an identity and feel obligated to carry it, even as it crushes you.”
Grace Bartlett - Acquisitions Editor
“The Boys Of My Youth” by Jo Ann Beard is a collection of essays inspired by events from Beard’s life in a nonlinear, borderline poetic way. The books combines memory and art in a way that is memorable and accessible to someone just getting into the genre. This book is a 10/10, I can’t recommend it enough!
“In a few hours the world will resume itself, but for now we’re in a pocket of silence. We’re in the plasmapause, a place of equilibrium, where the forces of the earth meet the forces of the sun. I imagine it as a place of stillness, where the particles of dust stop spinning and hang motionless in deep space.”
Eleanor Granstrom - Acquisitions Editor
The novel follows a unique format: Each page features an excerpt of the essay "What Happens There" surrounded by exchanges between D'Agata, the essay's author, and Fingal, his assigned fact checker. The two have admitted to exaggerating their discussions for the purpose of this novel, resulting in an incredibly funny and engaging read. Yet, they also tackle the serious subjects present in the original essay, such as suicide, with respect and care. These discussions introduce the fundamentals of writing creative nonfiction and debate ethical concerns associated with the genre. Is it ethical to write about someone else? Should you smudge small details in service of a larger tone and/or argument? This novel is an excellent and comprehensive introduction to the genre of creative nonfiction and its place in our literary landscape.
