--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not into this memoir craze that's…" description: "\"I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20 years now and doesn't seem to ever let up. People just indiscriminately say \"memoir\" now whe..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg" --- # I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20… ![“I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20 years now and doesn't seem to ever let up. People just indiscriminately say "memoir" now when it's a person writing about their own life.” quote by Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg) > “I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20 years now and doesn't seem to ever let up. People just indiscriminately say "memoir" now when it's a person writing about their own life.” [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes the overuse of the term “memoir” for any personal narrative, suggesting it has become a vague buzzword. **In simple terms:** People misuse “memoir” for any personal story. Key Takeaway Use precise language when labeling personal narratives. Themes language authenticity media criticism Mood frustrated critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - Publishing - personal blogging - creative writing workshops Key Concepts Literary taxonomy cultural fatigue Questions to Reflect On - How can we differentiate true memoirs from casual anecdotes? - What impact does overuse have on readers’ expectations? A Different Perspective The term can still be useful when the work meets memoir standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Memoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memoir/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The current memoir craze has fostered the belief that confession is therapeutic, that therapy is redemptive and that redemption equals art, and it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiko-kakutani/the-current-memoir-craze-has-fostered-the-belief-that-confession-is/) [Michiko Kakutani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiko-kakutani/) > [I will say, with memoir, you must be honest. You must be truthful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-will-say-with-memoir-you-must-be-honest-you-must-be-truthful/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As irony would have it, the very person who inspired me to write a memoir... was the only person to be ejected from it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/as-irony-would-have-it-the-very-person-who-inspired-me-to-write-a/) [Andre Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“All writers are demonic dreamers. Writing is an act of sharing experiences and offering of an individualistic perspective of our private attitudes pertaining to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-writers-are-demonic-dreamers-writing-is-an-act-of-sharing/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All experiences change us and personal writing is one of the most powerful agencies of change. The person who wrote these personal essays no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-experiences-change-us-and-personal-writing-is-one-of-the-most/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“All forms of writing are an act of conception; writing must lead to creation. Each time that we write, we begin again. Writing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/all-forms-of-writing-are-an-act-of-conception-writing-must-lead-to/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“A person’s life is a bounded thing that must end. We will leave this earth with unfinished business. Regardless of the outcome of this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/a-person-s-life-is-a-bounded-thing-that-must-end-we-will-leave-this/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“The story of what it means to be human is never complete. Every generation will produce its own share of comedies and tragedies, fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kilroy-j-oldster/the-story-of-what-it-means-to-be-human-is-never-complete-every/) [Kilroy J. Oldster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kilroy-j-oldster/) > [“Who thought up the dumb idea to arrange the memoir section in the bookstore by subject?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slash-coleman/who-thought-up-the-dumb-idea-to-arrange-the-memoir-section-in-the/) Slash Coleman > [A memoir takes some particular threads, some incidents, some experience from a person's life and gives an account of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/a-memoir-takes-some-particular-threads-some-incidents-some-experience/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [This modern craze for putting the young in positions of authority - headmasters in their thirties, bishops without a gray hair on their heads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/this-modern-craze-for-putting-the-young-in-positions-of-authority/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [I don't expect that we're going to become the biggest craze. If it happened, I'd be really shocked. I think people will dig it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-don-t-expect-that-we-re-going-to-become-the-biggest-craze-if-it/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [Regarding the fitness craze: America has lost its soul; now it's trying to save its body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/regarding-the-fitness-craze-america-has-lost-its-soul-now-it-s-trying/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [It is my personality alone that has brought back the waltz and made it a global craze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-rieu/it-is-my-personality-alone-that-has-brought-back-the-waltz-and-made/) [Andre Rieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-rieu/) > [There was this big skiffle craze happening for a while in England… Everybody was in a skiffle group..All you needed was an acoustic Guitar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/there-was-this-big-skiffle-craze-happening-for-a-while-in-england/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) ## More by Richard Hell > [If you take text and image and you put them together, the multiple readings that are possible in either poetry or in something visual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/if-you-take-text-and-image-and-you-put-them-together-the-multiple/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [A memoir takes some particular threads, some incidents, some experience from a person's life and gives an account of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/a-memoir-takes-some-particular-threads-some-incidents-some-experience/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [You're always thinking, "What does that add up to?" You can't really get a handle on it. I was curious. I felt like it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/you-re-always-thinking-what-does-that-add-up-to-you-can-t-really-get/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I usually don't think of anyone ever suspecting that I might be someone who'd cry at stuff. I cry at movies all the time.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-usually-don-t-think-of-anyone-ever-suspecting-that-i-might-be/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I love a good play, but they're too hard to find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-love-a-good-play-but-they-re-too-hard-to-find/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [“I think love is sort of a con you play on yourself. I think the whole conception of love is something the previous generation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-think-love-is-sort-of-a-con-you-play-on-yourself-i-think-the-whole/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [You realize there are certain things that you'll never do that you always thought would be part of your future. It's a big relief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/you-realize-there-are-certain-things-that-you-ll-never-do-that-you/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I never thought I would write an autobiography, probably because my first novel, Go Now, is really all drawn from my life, even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-never-thought-i-would-write-an-autobiography-probably-because-my/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [Nothing lasts in New York. Everything's always changing in really obvious ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/nothing-lasts-in-new-york-everything-s-always-changing-in-really/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [I shake my head and the tiny acrobats fall like spangles, like the cool rain on another planet, down to the inside of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-shake-my-head-and-the-tiny-acrobats-fall-like-spangles-like-the/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [“Amazing how the most obvious things escape your notice. Maybe the truth is exactly the things you don't notice. Maybe the aim to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/amazing-how-the-most-obvious-things-escape-your-notice-maybe-the/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [The purpose of rock n' roll is to convince girls to pay money to get close to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/the-purpose-of-rock-n-roll-is-to-convince-girls-to-pay-money-to-get/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [In fact I thought life was pretty much a losing proposition, and I didn't mind saying so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/in-fact-i-thought-life-was-pretty-much-a-losing-proposition-and-i/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [When you're young, you don't especially think of yourself as being young. You're just alive and everything's interesting and you don't think of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/when-you-re-young-you-don-t-especially-think-of-yourself-as-being/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [ There are characters in \[punk\] that do deliberately go as far as they can in certain kind of taboo areas. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/there-are-characters-in-punk-that-do-deliberately-go-as-far-as-they/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) [Explore all 39 Richard Hell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) ## More Craze quotes > [It is my personality alone that has brought back the waltz and made it a global craze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-rieu/it-is-my-personality-alone-that-has-brought-back-the-waltz-and-made/) [Andre Rieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-rieu/) > [Regarding the fitness craze: America has lost its soul; now it's trying to save its body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/regarding-the-fitness-craze-america-has-lost-its-soul-now-it-s-trying/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I don't expect that we're going to become the biggest craze. If it happened, I'd be really shocked. I think people will dig it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-diamond/i-don-t-expect-that-we-re-going-to-become-the-biggest-craze-if-it/) [Dustin Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-diamond/) > [This modern craze for putting the young in positions of authority - headmasters in their thirties, bishops without a gray hair on their heads,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-goudge/this-modern-craze-for-putting-the-young-in-positions-of-authority/) [Elizabeth Goudge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-goudge/) > [There was this big skiffle craze happening for a while in England… Everybody was in a skiffle group..All you needed was an acoustic Guitar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/there-was-this-big-skiffle-craze-happening-for-a-while-in-england/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [As I write, there is a craze for what is called psychoanalysis, or the cure of diseases by explaining to the patient what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/as-i-write-there-is-a-craze-for-what-is-called-psychoanalysis-or-the/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [If I'm trying to please every craze fan, then I can't. Of course, we all want to please the fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zooey-deschanel/if-i-m-trying-to-please-every-craze-fan-then-i-can-t-of-course-we-all/) [Zooey Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zooey-deschanel/) > [Korean feminism is on the brink of death. Korea has a less clear boundary between popular literature and serious literature than in other countries.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-hyesoon/korean-feminism-is-on-the-brink-of-death-korea-has-a-less-clear/) [Kim Hyesoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-hyesoon/) > [Before the birth of the New Woman the country was not an intellectual desert, as she is apt to suppose. There were teachers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-harding-davis/before-the-birth-of-the-new-woman-the-country-was-not-an-intellectual/) [Rebecca Harding Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-harding-davis/) > [Photography as a fad is well-nigh on its last legs, thanks principally to the bicycle craze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-stieglitz/photography-as-a-fad-is-well-nigh-on-its-last-legs-thanks-principally/) [Alfred Stieglitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-stieglitz/) > [Do not craze yourself with thinking, but go about your business anywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/do-not-craze-yourself-with-thinking-but-go-about-your-business/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Ayo for yayo Walk around with yayo, all in my nasal I must have been craze yo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-nickatina/ayo-for-yayo-walk-around-with-yayo-all-in-my-nasal-i-must-have-been/) [Andre Nickatina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-nickatina/) > [Lift me from the wonder maze, alienation is the craze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-cars/lift-me-from-the-wonder-maze-alienation-is-the-craze/) [The Cars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-cars/) > [I don't have scientific data, but I think plenty of perfectly nice weekends are being given over to the binge craze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-stuever/i-don-t-have-scientific-data-but-i-think-plenty-of-perfectly-nice/) [Hank Stuever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-stuever/) > [The radio craze will die out in time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/the-radio-craze-will-die-out-in-time/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) Browse all 56 Craze quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20 years now and doesn't seem to ever let up. People just indiscriminately say \"memoir\" now when it's a person writing about their own life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard Hell" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-been-going-on-for-20-years-now/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Craze" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-been-going-on-for-20-years-now/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7f/richard-hell-16720_craze_i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-be_762238.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not into this memoir craze that's been going on for 20 years now and doesn't seem to ever let up. People…” — Richard Hell", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Richard Hell", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not into this memoir craze...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-been-going-on-for-20-years-now/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/i-m-not-into-this-memoir-craze-that-s-been-going-on-for-20-years-now/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```