What is your personal narrative?

December 5, 2006 7:13 AM

Do you have any recommendations for solid creative non-fiction magazine columns or the like?

I'm a writer and I really enjoy both reading and writing personal narratives like the NYT's "Modern Love" column or the Nerve "Personal Essays" section... the kind of thing which is sometimes called "creative non-fiction".

With a view to both finding new regular reads and finding new markets for my own writing, I'm looking for recommendations for this style of magazine writing, or anything you think is related and worth exploring. I'd prefer stuff I can read online for free, but I'm not particularly excited for Joe or Jane Blogger, unless they're professional and write in a more thoughtful memoir style, rather than this-is-what-my-kid-did-today.

Thank ye!

posted by loiseau to media & arts (4 comments total)

I'd pick up a copy of Best American Magazine Writing or Best American Essays, and take a look at the list of publications in the back. They list all the places that they read when looking for the "Best ofs" of the year.
posted by jodic at 7:48 AM on December 5, 2006

Creative Nonfiction is a great magazine ... I also love Granta, which usually contains a little bit of realist fiction, a lot of memoir and creative nonfiction, and some great photography.
posted by ourobouros at 9:34 AM on December 5, 2006

Check out Fresh Yarn.
posted by Otis at 10:42 AM on December 5, 2006

Other People's Stories has not been updated in years but has a lot of good content if you're new to the site. It's a collection of stories recounted by people who heard them from someone else.

Dead Sparrows is admittedly a blog, but the only one I've ever read from start to finish. The author, newly (at the beginning) diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, has been documenting his therapy sessions in great detail. Doesn't get much more personal than that.
posted by gennessee at 2:02 PM on December 5, 2006