Personal Memoirs

Reckoning

by V; read by V

The work of a lifetime from the Tony Award–winning, bestselling author of The Vagina Monologues—political, personal, profound, and more than forty years in the making. Learn More

Predator

by Ander Monson; read by Matt Godfrey

A searching memoir of a life lived in the flicker of an action film, by the author of I Will Take the Answer. Learn More

Dispatches From Puerto Nowhere

by Robert Lopez; read by Lee Osorio

In Dispatches From Puerto Nowhere: An American Story of Assimilation and Erasure, Robert Lopez paints a compassionate portrait of family that attempts to bridge the past to the present, and reclaim a heritage threatened by assimilation and erasure. Learn More

Burning Butch

by R/B Mertz; read by R/B Mertz

R/B Mertz's must-listen debut memoir. Learn More

Jersey Breaks

by Robert Pinsky; read by Robert Pinsky

Robert Pinsky traces the roots of his work and reflects on how writing poetry helped him make sense of life's challenges, such as his mother's traumatic brain injury, and on his notable public presence, including an unprecedented three terms as United States poet laureate. Learn More

At the Helm

by John H. Dalton; read by Shawn Compton

John Dalton's life is an inspirational American success story. At the Helm traces his journey from modest beginnings in Louisiana to traveling the world and working across private and public sectors and four presidential appointments all culminating in his appointment as the 70th Secretary of the Navy. Learn More

Bang Bang Crash

by Nic Brown; read by Nic Brown

A rock and roll drummer abandons his successful music career to pursue his true passion and discovers a deeper understanding of artistic fulfillment in this episodic memoir of swapping one dream for another. Learn More

Harder to Breathe

by Ryan Dusick; read by Ryan Dusick

Two decades after Songs About Jane, Maroon 5's original drummer presents an unflinching examination of fame, anxiety, mental health, and recovery. Learn More

The Critic's Daughter

by Priscilla Gilman; read by Priscilla Gilman

AudioFile Earphone Award Winner

An exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving memoir of family and identity. Learn More

Against the Wall

by Jenn Budd; read by Jenn Budd

Jenn Budd, the only former US Border Patrol agent to continually blow the whistle on this federal agency's rampant corruption, challenges us—as individuals and as a nation—to face the consequences of our actions. Her journey offers a vital perspective on the unfolding moral crisis of our time. She also gives harrowing testimony about rape culture, white privilege, women in law enforcement, LGBTQ issues, mental illness, survival, and forgiveness. Learn More

Yours Truly

by James R. Hagerty; read by James R. Hagerty

In this surprisingly upbeat book about a usually downbeat subject, The Wall Street Journal's veteran obituary writer, James R. Hagerty, shares his unique skills with those who want to have the last word by crafting their own stories in their own voices—with flourish, honesty, and even humor. Learn More

From Junkie to Judge

by Mary Beth O'Connor; read by Nikki Zakocs

From a junkie addicted to methamphetamines to a federal judge, Mary Beth O'Connor's memoir shares her inspiring journey from rock bottom to resilience as she forged a personal path to recovery from trauma and addiction. Learn More

The View from My Foxhole

by William Swanson; read by Michael Butler Murray

The View from My Foxhole tells William Swanson's story of fighting in Bougainville, Guam, and Iwo Jima. Learn More

The White Mosque

by Sofia Samatar; read by Sofia Samatar

PEN American Literary Award Longlist

A historical tapestry of border-crossing travelers, of students, wanderers, martyrs and invaders, The White Mosque is a memoiristic, prismatic record of a journey through Uzbekistan and of the strange shifts, encounters, and accidents that combine to create an identity. Learn More