Scrap: Salvaging a Family
Call me a nerd—I love it when form follows function. Luanne Castle’s memoir, Scrap: Salvaging a Family does just that. Rather than traditional chapters, Luanne uses short (less than one page) vignettes. Thus, the descriptor of the book: “A Memoir in Flash.” Some of the vignetters are linked to the next entry; others stand alone. Together, they quilt together the story of Luanne’s childhood, primarily her relationship with her father and his mom, her grandmother. At a deeper level, the choice of these mini-entries echoes the title. They are scraps, used to salvage a family, in all senses of the word.
Luanne’s choice of micro form for her Scrap memoir works well. The story she shares is not easy. Male anger is a difficult topic for me, and I’m not sure I could have gotten through a traditional telling. This structure gives the reader space to rest before moving on. Time to absorb and reset. The form also focuses on the language. The first several books I read by Luanne were of her poetry. That poetic talent shines through in this telling over and over again.
It’s always hard to write a memoir. It’s doubly hard when the times you’re recalling were traumatic. The hat trick is writing a memoir that takes those times of ugliness and creates artistic beauty. Scrap accomplishes that admirably, successfully salvaging family relationships along the way.
luanne castle, memoir in flash, micro-essays, Scrap: Salvaging a Family
Luanne
Thank you so much, Ellen. I am so glad you liked what I did with the book. I tried to write a traditional memoir over and over for years, but it didn’t work for this material. Then I decided to just do what I wanted ;).
Ellen Morris Prewitt
That’s the “leave us with one last thought” I’ve been adding to interviews: don’t be afraid to do it your way, whatever that is. I’m so glad you weren’t!
Marie A Bailey
Wonderful review, Ellen!
Ellen Morris Prewitt
🙂