I was handed a small stack of autobiographies and memoirs early this summer by a co-worker (a bonus of working at a library!). I’m a big fan of fiction, so these genres were a bit of a stretch for me. It turns out that truth can be more exciting than fiction! Here is a selection of memoirs you can find on the shelves at PWPL – some new and some you may have missed in recent years.

Ephemera: A Memoir by Briana Loewinsohn, is a dreamy yet unsettling graphic memoir set in gorgeously drawn scenes of nature. The author uses her love for drawing flora to drift between memories of a heartbreaking childhood and the lasting impressions of these memories on the author as an adult. Loewinsohn is trying to understand and relate to a parent who struggled with severe mental illness. Monstera, ivy, ferns and grasses drawn in warm, muted earth tones draw the reader into the fogginess of recalling the past. This quiet book tugs at the heart strings but honestly portrays the complexities of emotions that come with memories. Published in 2023.

wow, no thank you, by Samantha Irby is for readers looking to laugh. Irby, a Black Chicago native, is turning 40, recently married, and settling down with her new family in a new town in lower Michigan. Irby does not hold back in how she discusses everything from home ownership to her ongoing health issues. Because the humor can be downright bawdy, the anecdotes may seem irreverent at times, but look closer and find deeper commentary on sexuality, mental health, poverty, and social marginalization. Use the Libby app to find the audiobook for a real treat listening to the author tell her stories. Published in 2020.

Kim Gordon: Girl in a Band, is a memoir from one of the founding members of the experimental rock band Sonic Youth. Gordon is also known as a visual artist and feminist icon for a generation of women coming of age in the 80s and 90s. The memoir is a richly woven story of her childhood in California, moving to New York during the height of the New Wave and Punk music scenes, her marriage and split with bandmate Thurston Moore, and becoming a mother to her daughter, Coco. Published in 2015. As a bonus, check out Sonic Youth’s albums on the Hoopla app.

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, by Allie Brosh, is a collection of illustrated essays from the author’s award-winning blog with the same title. Brosh’s work is an unflinching look at loneliness and depression combined with humor and keen observations. Her mental health condition often causes her to disappear from public for years at a time (her follow up book wasn’t released until 2020), but her wit and honesty is still very relevant as discussions about these topics have become more normalized. Her intentionally simple stick figure drawings of herself, and particularly her dogs, flesh out the stories even more. Published in 2013.

By Melissa Matuscak Alan

Circulation Department Head