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I loved this illuminating chat with renowned editor and memoirist Sari Botton, who was recognized in Poets & Writers’“5 Over 50” list for her memoir And You May Find Yourself… Confessions of a Late-Blooming Gen-X Weirdo.
We first connected a few years ago when I interviewed her for an organization, and I was struck by how generous, warm, and professional she is. As a fellow editor, I admire her multi-faceted approach to her work and the way she’s built vibrant platforms for writers.
In this episode, Sari shares why the most powerful memoirs often illuminate the ordinary, how she found the right container to shape her story, and the lessons she’s learned about balancing honesty with protecting others on the page. We also talk about the challenges of people-pleasing, the persistence of “mean girls” into adulthood, and how she built a thriving editorial life through her Substack publications Oldster, Memoir Land, and Adventures in Journalism.
She is also the former Essays Editor at Longreads and the editor of the bestselling anthologies Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York and Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York.
In This Episode
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Why strong memoirs focus on the universal, not just the extraordinary [3:00]
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How to find the catalytic moment that gives your story shape [5:10]
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The importance of writing a fearless “vomit draft” before refining [20:18]
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Strategies for ethically blurring identities while keeping emotional truth [23:39]
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How to turn editorial skills into sustainable platforms and community-building [32:41]
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Connect with Sari
Get More from Estelle:
Webinars
- NEW: Sign up for my free online Editor-on-call NYU event on October 29th Inside Slate: An Unfiltered Conversation with Senior Editor, Rebecca Onion. Register here
- Sign up for my webinar on October 9th in collaboration with Writer’s Digest Mapping Your Memoir: How to Find the Heart and Shape of Your Story. Register here.
TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
Estelle blends personal storytelling with actionable strategies for standing out—starting with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine.
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Explore More:
- 📘 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the book | Audiobook
- 📰 Subscribe on Substack: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com
Latest posts include ‘When Writers Are the Ones Blocking the Page: 6 Ways to Move Forward (and An Offer),’ ‘Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story,’ and ‘How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen.’ - 🎧 More episodes: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast
- Read Estelle’s latest article How to Use the Internet to Become Your Own Private Investigator (Next Avenue/PBS)
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About Estelle
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed. She hosts the Freelance Writing Direct podcast and teaches at NYU.
