What is a memoir?
A memoir is a very detailed article that tells only about one specific topic. It is in first person and some things you could write into a memoir could be a hike in the woods.
An example of a memoir
It was during the World Championships Games which was held in Tokyo, Japan in 1991. The 100m mens finals was about to take place. There certainly was a cheerful festive atmosphere that late evening in Tokyo. The sun was just about to set.
A few thousand miles away, life however was moving a little bit slower. [It was early evening local time in Malaysia and schools in the afternoon session were going on as usual.] Where I come from, schools are held in two sessions - morning and afternoon sessions. At that time I was teaching in the afternoon. It was hot on that particular day. [As a science teacher, I was in the laboratory with about 40 pupils - all boys of the age 14. There was no experiment carried out on that day, just some group discussions and written exercises to be completed by the boys.] As I walked around the lab, checking on the students' answers and explaining the topic I was teaching to the different groups, one of the boys suddenly raised his hand and asked if the class could be allowed to watch the 100m men's World Championship Finals. [Everyone started pleading with me, some even begging me. Even the slower boys convinced me that they had finished their chores, albeit a little bit rushed.] I looked at all the eager, expectant faces, didnt have the heart to disappoint them. It was indeed, a hot, lazy afternoon, and the students, I felt, were not particularly over excited at the prospect of more 'scholarly' discussions and exercises. I finally conceded to their request.
In truth, over the years, come to think of it now, perhaps I too was hoping to watch the event live. After all, the excitement was just a switch away...
A few thousand miles away, life however was moving a little bit slower. [It was early evening local time in Malaysia and schools in the afternoon session were going on as usual.] Where I come from, schools are held in two sessions - morning and afternoon sessions. At that time I was teaching in the afternoon. It was hot on that particular day. [As a science teacher, I was in the laboratory with about 40 pupils - all boys of the age 14. There was no experiment carried out on that day, just some group discussions and written exercises to be completed by the boys.] As I walked around the lab, checking on the students' answers and explaining the topic I was teaching to the different groups, one of the boys suddenly raised his hand and asked if the class could be allowed to watch the 100m men's World Championship Finals. [Everyone started pleading with me, some even begging me. Even the slower boys convinced me that they had finished their chores, albeit a little bit rushed.] I looked at all the eager, expectant faces, didnt have the heart to disappoint them. It was indeed, a hot, lazy afternoon, and the students, I felt, were not particularly over excited at the prospect of more 'scholarly' discussions and exercises. I finally conceded to their request.
In truth, over the years, come to think of it now, perhaps I too was hoping to watch the event live. After all, the excitement was just a switch away...
Annotation
The bracketed text shows elements of a memoir such as details, decription, and consiceness.
Analogy
Apple slice is to memoir as apple is to autobiography.
Explanation
The two main things that make this a memoir is that it is very specific and is very detailed. Memoirs are supposed to only tell about one specific thing and be very specific with that thing. Instead of telling about a long period of time like biographies and autobiographies, memoirs tell about a short period of time.
bibliography
"Examples of Memoirs: Real Life Stories." Examples of Memoirs: Real Life Stories. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.memoirsbyme.com/featured.html>.