Write the Damn Book Already

Ep 172: Writing Memoir When Your Memories Have Disappeared (with Cinelle Barnes)

Elizabeth Lyons / Cinelle Barnes

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0:00 | 58:24

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In this heartfelt interview, author Cinelle Barnes shares her journey through writing A Way Home (Little A, June 9, 2026), a heart-wrenching memoir about remembering and rebuilding a life after everything known disappears in a flash. 

Her latest memoir takes us alone with her as she recovers from a sudden ruptured brain aneurysm. But her journey was far more than physical. It's the healing of soul, of body, of identity. It's a woman/mother/daughter/immigrant/writer redrawing the map of herself. The mere existence of this book is a triumph, and the beautiful magic of it is a feat of awe. 

Cinelle is also the author of Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir and Malaya: Essays on Freedom


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Write the Damn Book Already is a weekly podcast featuring interviews with authors as well as updates and insights on writing craft and the publishing industry. 

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