#122 Crafting A Tsunami of Transformation in Memoir with Hannah Sward

Hannah Sward, daughter of the late poet Robert Sward, is the IAN awarding-winning author of Strip: A Memoir. Strip, Swards first book, has received the attention of authors such as Nobel Prize winner, J.M. Coetzee, Melissa Broder, and NYT Bestselling novelist Caroline Leavitt who called Sward, “One of the most moving and honest memoir writers. So eloquent, so brave.”    Sward has spoken on dozens of podcasts and panels with special appearances on NBC CA Live and C-SPAN BookTV. Published in literary journals for the past twenty years, she was a regular contributor at The Fix and Erotic Review. Her most recent work can be read in the LA Times, NY Times (TLS), Huff Post, The Rumpus and others.   Sward is on the board at Right to Write Press, a nonprofit that supports emerging incarcerated writers. She lives in Los Angeles where she is working on a short story collection about love and jealousy.    In this episode: Hannah Sward’s life story and the inspiration behind her memoir, Strip. [2:33] The impact of loneliness and addiction on childhood and young adulthood [3:35] Refusing to center in shame, despite fraught scenarios [6:30] How Hannah started writing her memoir, and traversed the path of sobriety [6:50] The benefits of mentorship [7:49] Structuring a book in short chapters [8:33] Her 2 page a day process for putting down her truth [8:48] Excavating childhood memories [10:36] Distilling scenes and setting from her dad’s poetry [11:50] The scene she had to rewrite till she got it right [13:39] Navigating family reactions, especially with difficult topics [16:02] Looking at older work and readying it for publication [22:18] Hannah’s next project [25:12]   Get Strip on Estelle’s Bookshop https://bookshop.org/p/books/strip-a-memoir-hannah-sward/18101649?ean=9781948954679   Episodes Mentioned    Episode #120  Writing Days of Wonder Featuring Caroline Leavitt https://estelleserasmus.com/120-writing-days-of-wonder-featuring-caroline-leavitt/   Episode #87  Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page with Joanna Rakoff https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/   Connect with Hannah Sward   Website https://www.hannahsward.com/   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hannahswardauthor   Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hannahswardauthor   Threads https://www.threads.net/@hannahswardauthor   Connect with Estelle Erasmus   Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025 https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for   Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.   ​​FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at  https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.   Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest  https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals   Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html   Get Her Book  Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0   Order Her Audiobook: https://shorturl.at/4uG2P   Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests   Follow Estelle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social