The Slipperiness of Narrative Truth(making): The Neuroscience of Memory in Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast

Memoirs are pesky things to pin down. They are not solely rooted in fact nor are they purely works of fiction. Lurking somewhere between the two, a memoir represents what the author chooses to share from his or her past, as well as how he or she chooses to share it. Neuroscience research on memory beckons us to rethink our understanding of the tone, structure, and creation of Hemingway’s Paris memoir. Specifically, this paper explores three dimensions of memory, including Long Term Memory (LTM) fluidity and context, autobiographical memory and storytelling, and misinformation memory. The closing segment of the paper summarizes the elements of memory confusion that pervade A Moveable Feast and considers implications for future scholarship.