Sue William Silverman, "Confessional and (Finally) Proud of It" 

Below are excerpts from this essay, which was published in The Writer's Chronicle: 

A Publication of the Associated Writing Programs. Special Commemorative Issue 2002. 16-19.

"When men write their stories, stories of war or political persecution, for example, no 
one denigrates them. Indeed, their memoirs are read as literature . . . In contrast, 
women who survive their 'hostage' years with abusive parents or partners are considered 
victims--not heroes. When women write about their wars, wars that happen to be closer to 
home, or even in the home, we are labeled 'confessional'" (17).

"This dismissive attitude toward 'confessional' memoirs isn't restricted to book 
reviewers. Many of our own writing colleagues, especially in the academy, share it . . . 
Why do so many, both in the media and in the academy, fear women's stories? Perhaps 
because of their own fears. After all, if I confront my demons, am I not (covertly) 
asking you to confront yours?" (17-18).

"While women memorists wait for our metaphors to be appreciated, for our work to be 
judged on literary merit, for our stories to be taken seriously, we must never overlook 
our equally important and much more heartfelt reviews. I receive reviews in whispered 
phone calls from women who have read my books and need to make a connection. I receive 
reviews in handwritten notes from women barely holding on, thanking me for giving a voice 
to their own stories. After I finished a reading at a library in Athens, Georgia, one 
woman waited until everyone else had departed. She confided that I was the first person 
she'd told that her father had molested her. She was too traumatized even to tell a 
therapist. If this is what it means to be a confessional writer, I'm proud to be one. 
For to be a confessional writer means to write both from and to the human heart" (19).

To read the entire essay, click on this URL: http://www.previewport.com/Bookview/bookview.asp?aid=2229&wid=10222   

Sue Wiliam Silverman, the author of Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You 
(1999), served as the judge for the 2002 Associated Writing Programs' Award in creative nonfiction:   http://www.awpwriter.org/contests/series.htm   Her latest nonfiction work is entitled Love Sick: One Woman's Journey Through Sexual Addiction.  Click on  this URL:   http://www.previewport.com/authors/displayInterviews.asp?aid=2229&id=1