On Retrospection

By Michael Copperman

In writing personal essay and memoir, retrospection is the engine of all of my work. Looking back allows me the angle of vision from which to interpret and understand what has happened— to show an audience how I was then, what I believed or thought, what I couldn’t know in the moment. It allows me to weight events with the years and perspective that has revealed consequences, significances, and clarity— I know now what has been made from the past, how it has echoed and...