If you have to choose between the way an event is remembered and the way an event really occurred, what do you do?
Let's say you as a memoirist remember an event a certain way. You distinctly remember that your father joined XYZ Organization when you were 8 years old, and it was something that was important in your life (totally random example, not a very good one sorry). But in doing some research, you find that XYZ Organization wasn't even founded until you were 13 years old. So obviously you are remembering it wrong.
How would you handle that in writing your memoir? Do you write it the way you remember it, or write it the way it really was?
Just to clarify, this isn't something that I've run into (yet) - it's just something I got to thinking about after hearing the NPR piece on memoir this morning.
Let's say you as a memoirist remember an event a certain way. You distinctly remember that your father joined XYZ Organization when you were 8 years old, and it was something that was important in your life (totally random example, not a very good one sorry). But in doing some research, you find that XYZ Organization wasn't even founded until you were 13 years old. So obviously you are remembering it wrong.
How would you handle that in writing your memoir? Do you write it the way you remember it, or write it the way it really was?
Just to clarify, this isn't something that I've run into (yet) - it's just something I got to thinking about after hearing the NPR piece on memoir this morning.