Are Memoirs “Impossible to Sell”? Only If Narrowly Defined

By Allison K Williams

Last week, Canadian magazine The Walrus published “Memoirs Are Almost Impossible to Sell” by Tajja Isen. “Publishers are turning away from personal stories. Have readers stopped caring about each other’s lives?” the subhead asks. Isen describes the New York Times Book Review’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century poll as heavily favoring literary fiction, and decries the inclusion of only seven memoirs:

This paucity of first-person storytelling is striking. Among th...