Author/narrator Melissa Febos delivers a rousing manifesto on the transformative power of personal storytelling. This part-memoir, part-writing guide is presented as a series of candid essays that explore writing about traumatic experiences. Febos draws listeners in with her clear, unapologetic narration of practical advice about how to write about ourselves and/or others. She presents examples from her own work and from other writers in a way that provides encouragement and guidance. While Febos's writing may at times come across as academic, her heartfelt performance and insight provide broad resonance for both writers and nonwriters alike. For fans of writing tips, the audio format may best be paired with the print version as Febos's work inspires note-taking in abundance.
Pub Date: March 15, 2022
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781696608084
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Inspiring collections of Angelou reading her poetry. These selections showcase Angelou's smooth, lyrical voice and her warm vitality. Her innate rhythm celebrates her verse and offers the poems to listeners as they should be remembered. Occasionally Angelou comments between the selections, and occasionally she interjects a resonant laugh.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ward claims she’s more comfortable as a novel writer, but this confirms her gifts as a storyteller no matter the...
Ward reads her first collection of creative nonfiction essays with the lyricism that her poetic writing deserves. There is power in her ideas, and she expresses them in rich prose. Both are enhanced by her reading. She writes about growing up poor and Black in Mississippi, the deaths of her brother and her husband, Hurricane Katrina’s devastation, the comfort she finds in Baldwin’s work, and her discomfort with Faulkner’s writing. Each essay carries a poignancy that is often breathtaking. Pieces vary in length and purpose, from book introductions to interviews to articles. She merges the personal and the political, balancing grief with the healing power of literature and art.
Ward claims she’s more comfortable as a novel writer, but this confirms her gifts as a storyteller no matter the subject.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 56 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668111833
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: today
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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