Method to Memoir
Uncovering Life’s Smallest Moments Through Personal Essays
Exploring Michael Jamin’s Paper Orchestra and the power of honest storytelling.
The epigraph at the beginning of Michael Jamin’s new essay collection grabbed my attention. After all, isn’t this the question all good memoirs hope to answer?
What if the smallest, almost forgotten moments were the ones that shaped us most? —A Paper Orchestra by Michael Jamin
Lately, I have spent most of my reading time on essays — memoir, personal, journalistic, and hybrid. Writing essays is my current obsession, and reading what I hope to write is essential. When a workshop teacher recommended A Paper Orchestra, I was eager to dive into it, especially given my current obsession with personal essay writing.
Michael Jamin is a television writer with 27 years of experience. His many credits include: King of the Hill, Just Shoot Me, Beavis & Butthead, Rules of Engagement, among others. He’s currently the writer and co-executive producer of Tacoma FD.
Jamin explained that his work as a screenwriter is collaborative, getting input from studio executives, producers, directors, actors, and other writers. Since he was home during the pandemic, he wanted to use the…