Memoirs have been on my mind in recent weeks.  It seems like more and more are appearing on the shelves, and anyone who has spent a year or two on the Earth feels their story is publishable. I don’t mean for this to be a criticism of the industry, however, especially since I consistently enjoy reading memoirs myself, but I believe that only the truly insightful or incredibly talented types with lives that are exceptional should be granted the pages to tell their story. (I also think people like Justin Bieber should wait a few years.  How much can be said when you’re pre-pubescent?  The ghost-writer had to get creative there.)

One memoir open on my desk is Life by Keith Richards.  This is exactly the kind of memoir I personally enjoy.  The man has lived an insane life that I could never imagine, so it feels like you’re getting a glimpse into another world through his stories.  He is also spectacularly unique, and his voice shines through in every word.  Perhaps my favorite part of the memoir is his blunt and extremely matter-of-fact way of talking about his music.  For instance, he claims to have written “Satisfaction” in his sleep.  Literally.  He woke up to find a cassette player with the melody.  Yet while he obviously possesses a natural gift, he has worked hard every step of the way, studying the blues legends before him and still trying to get specific licks on the guitar down.  He is a true artist, and one that every artistic mind or mind yearning to be artistic would benefit from reading.

Other memoirs of this genre I have enjoyed are Just Kids by Patti Smith, as well as the biography of Led Zeppelin,  Stairway to Heaven by Richard Cole.  Both give a glimpse into a different era where the world was in upheaval, and the art world reflected it.  It seems I was born in the wrong decade…

But enough of the rockers and onto a more elegant memoir. And Furthermore by Judi Dench was just officially released and now at the top of my To-Read list.  This is another person who has certainly earned the right of publishing a memoir, working with some of the most distinguished writers, directors and actors the industry has to offer.  According to reviews, Dench is warm-hearted and intimate, sharing personal anecdotes about everything from her roles as Lady Bracknell, Cleopatra and Sally Bowles to losing her husband to cancer. I am happy to hear that this is not the last we will see of Dame Judi Dench, who made a statement that this by no means indicates that she is close to retirement.

One last memoir that I recently read and can’t recommend enough is Beaufort’s own Becoming Odyssa by Jennifer Pharr Davis.  Davis has also earned her stars, albeit at an exceptionally early age, by being the fastest woman to ever thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.  In fact, she is attempting to beat the over-all record in the upcoming fall.  But the book is like an honest, intimate adventure novel, following Davis’s first ever thru-hike directly out of college. She can’t throw big names around like the other memoirs I’ve discussed, but her sincerity and genuine charm make up for it. This is a book that is perfect for anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in life.

That’s all for now. Does anyone else have some exceptional memoirs to suggest?