Writing about Intergenerational Trauma with with Margaret Juhae Lee

Send us Fan MailLike it or not, our family history shapes who we are. What if lost portions of your history are holding you back? What lengths would you go to recover this history, understand it, and then turn your discoveries into a memoir? Join me and author of the memoir Starry Field, Margaret Juhae Lee, as we explore the impacts of intergenerational trauma on our identity, the challenges of writing a researched memoir, staying motivated over the long haul, and the problem of getting an agent too soon.Margaret’s Bio: Margaret Juhae Lee is an Oakland-based writer and a former literary editor of The Nation magazine. She has been the recipient of a Bunting Fellowship from Harvard University and a Korean Studies Fellowship from the Korean Foundation. She is also a Tin House alum and has been awarded residencies at the Mesa Refuge, Anderson Center, and Mineral School. In 2020, she was named “Person of the Year” by the Sangcheol Cultural Welfare Foundation in Kongju, South Korea, for her work in honoring her grandfather, Patriot Lee Chul Ha. Her articles, reviews, and interviews have been published in The Nation, Newsday, Elle, ARTnews, The Advocate, The Rumpus and Writer's Digest.In this episode: How to navigate the challenges of writing a memoir that spans multiple generations and historical events.The importance of structure in memoir writing and how to achieve it.The emotional impact of sharing family stories and intergenerational trauma.Practical advice for balancing journalism and narrative memoir writing.Resources Mentioned During This Episode:Starry Field with Margaret Juhae Lee and Grace M. Cho Interview for the Korea SocietyEpisode Highlights4:00 Why Explore the Past?7:00 The Impact of Intergenerational Trauma9:00 The Role of Stories in Identity Formation15:00 Maintaining Your Momentum Over the Long Haul20:00 Getting an Agent Too Soon22:00 Structuring a Researched Memoir26:00 The Miracle of the Memoir Process29:00 Turning Yourself into a Character35:00 Understanding Situation versus StoryConnect with Margaret: Website: www.margaretjuhaelee.comInstagram: @mjuhaeTwitter: @margaretjuhaeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaret-juhae-lee-2b95905/Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedInProduced by Espresso Podcast Production