Narrative nonfiction writing often relies on the memory of the author and/or those we consult. But how reliable is memory? How do our memories differ from others, and what do we do as nonfiction writers when there are differing memories that emerge in our research about an event in the past? How does our account of memories on the page alter or replace the memories that existed before they were recorded? In this lecture and discussion, we will examine the role of memory in nonfiction writing. 

Mieke Eerkens is a Dutch-American writer who grew up in Los Angeles and lives in Amsterdam. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from The University of Iowa. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, and Creative Nonfiction, among others. All Ships Follow Me, a book about her parents’ experiences in WWII and the inheritance of war trauma, was released in 2019 by Picador/Macmillan. She is currently working on a memoir about her younger years traveling with the circus.