Unlocking Creativity: Elissa Altman Reveals the Radical Power of Saying ‘Yes’ in Memoir Writing
This is every memoirist’s nightmare. In Permission, Elissa shares the creative wisdom she gained from this painful experience, which is a gift to the reader. Should any of us experience doubt or receive pushback about writing our stories—and we will—thanks to this book, we will be better equipped to deal with it.
I spoke with Elissa over Zoom in early May. What follows are highlights of what was a thoroughly engaging and enjoyable conversation.
Michèle Dawson Haber : Thank you for writing this remarkable and essential book, Elissa. Permission opens with the inciting incident, the publication of your first memoir, Poor Man’s Feast, which contained a single paragraph about your grandmother that led your father’s side of the family to disown you. You write of this experience: “It threatened my marriage. I began to stutter the way I had as a child; it altered my creative course, took my humor, rendered me silent for almost a decade. It left me sleepless and afraid.” Is the initial reaction to such an event to look inward, to blame oneself?
