A Memoir of a Marriage

In this episode of the History Workshop Podcast, a unique perspective on the memoir and biography, and the art of writing about lived experiences. Alison Light tells a very personal story about her ongoing efforts to write a memoir about her relationship with Raphael Samuel, who passed away in 1996. She uses their marriage as a kind of a lens through which to see both their shared past and her future. She also reflects on our ideas of ‘personal life’ – suggesting instead that the public sphere cannot be separated from private experience, especially in the process of writing a memoir. As we share more and more of our lives online, this is something we are all increasingly familiar with.