Am Quote by David Shields
“I am exhausted by traditional memoir. I am exhausted by the architecture of the conventional novel.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of Memoir, The New York Times, 2005
Traditional memoir and novel structures feel restrictive, prompting a desire for new narrative forms.
In simple terms: Conventional storytelling feels limiting.
Key Takeaway
Explore alternative narrative structures.
Themes
creativity
literature
form
innovation
exhaustion
Mood
critical
exploratory
Type
literary
innovative
When to use this quote
- experimental writing
- personal essay
- digital storytelling
- workshop
- publishing
Key Concepts
postmodern narrative
genre blending
self-reflexivity
Questions to Reflect On
- What narrative constraints frustrate you?
- How could you blend memoir with other genres?
A Different Perspective
New forms may alienate readers accustomed to familiar structures.
![“Jowett, in his day, did probably more than any other single man to let some fresh air into the exhausted atmosphere of the [Oxford] common rooms, and to widen the intellectual horizons of the place.” quote by Benjamin Jowett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9c6/benjamin-jowett-20480_air_jowett-in-his-day-did-probably-more-than_26898.jpg)
