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I loved chatting with author Jacque Gorelick about her debut memoir Map of a Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Finding the Way Home, a powerful, braided narrative that weaves a present-day medical crisis with a deeply personal exploration of family, identity, estrangement, and belonging.
Jacque shares the harrowing inciting incident at the center of her book: her husband collapsing on a trail just weeks after the birth of their child, leading to a life-or-death ICU experience that unfolds in real time over ten days. From there, she unpacks how that crisis triggered a flood of memory and reflection, bringing her past into conversation with her present.
Together, we dive into the craft behind the memoir, including how to braid timelines effectively, how to balance scene and reflection, and how to write about emotionally charged experiences without losing the reader. Jacque also opens up about the challenges of writing about family estrangement, the visceral experience of reliving trauma on the page, and the importance of honoring truth while maintaining compassion.
We cover:
- How to structure a memoir using a real-time framework
- The shift from alternating timelines to a fully braided narrative
- Writing epistolary sections to create intimacy and emotional depth
- The role of memory, research, and fact-checking in memoir
- Navigating vulnerability when writing about loved ones
- The realities of the publishing path, including querying, setbacks, and choosing a small press
- Why giving yourself emotional space while writing difficult material is essential
Jacque offers practical advice for writers looking to tell their own stories, including how to access emotional truth, gather sensory memory, and begin shaping raw experience into narrative.
Watch on YouTube
About Jacque Gorelick
Jacque Gorelick is a writer and former educator whose work explores the complexities of family, identity, and belonging. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Salon, Newsweek, The Washington Post, HuffPost, and more. Map of a Heart is her debut memoir. She lives in California with her husband, two sons, and a menagerie of rescue animals.
Links & Resources:
Jacque’s website
Jacque’s Instagram and Threads: @Jacgorelick
Estelle’s website
NEW Substack post: A Recap of the Editor-on-Call Event with Susan Dabbar of PROVOKEDmagazine. All the intel you need to get published there.
Don’t miss episode #189 Turning a Story of Escape into a Powerful Memoir And Real Impact with Tia Levings
And find the free resource guide from the panel I moderated at AWP here
About Estelle Erasmus
Estelle Erasmus is an NYU writing professor, former magazine editor-in-chief, TEDx speaker, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers. She has appeared on Good Morning America and her essays and articles have been cited on The View. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct, where she shares insider strategies on craft, publishing, and building a writing career.
Get More From Estelle Erasmus
- Private Small-Group Memoir/Essay Class
My Next 6-week session is in September/October 2026 (Just a few spots left).
Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details. - Watch
Estelle’s TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond - Book
Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers “Best Book for Writers.”
Follow Estelle
Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus
Twitter/X: @EstelleSErasmus
Bluesky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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