Endless Memory

Joe Brainard’s I Remember is unlike any biography read. This original novel contains what is initially perceived as an overwhelming amount of repetitive statement which shifts, captivating the reader. While the label of biography is technically correct, the description does not allow the reader to be prepared for the 1,500 memories which are to come. Do not fret, while 1,500 seems like a tremendous amount, Brainards arrangement of the memories allows for a quick submersion into the text allowing the reader to feel emotions through the messages conveyed.

While I Remember contains a nonlinear timeline which resembles a black hole where time is in all directions, Brainards childhood, adolescence, and adult memories allow for relatability with the reader establishing that connection. Furthermore, while the method that Brainard choose to organize his memories is unknown, there is a methodology behind it as shown in his "mini-stories". A mini-story is created by the repetition of themes or similar memories with direct connections. Countless of these frames within frames can be found with common topics of food, movies, and friendships. The relationship between Brainard, Padgett, and Waldman would have been difficult to piece together with no prior knowledge.

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I Remember was broken up into 6 250-I remember- sections in which 3 would be worked on allowing for all portions of the novel to be included. The 750 memories were broken down into one or more of the 54 themes created. While there was originally roughly two dozen themes with the continuous creation of themes until all 750 memories were able to be classified. Although the classification is one of the benefits of this quantitative analysis, it is also one of its strongest weaknesses. The classification was done solely on my own, creating a bias that cannot be eliminated from the end result even though the process was constant. For example what is perceived as “humor” can be thought differently by another individual. However in all 54 themes, Appearance was found 134 times accounting for 17.8% of the sample size, meanwhile threats was only found once, for only 13th of a percent with many more themes only showing twice in the sample size. It is important when using data in the following graphs that bias IS included and further exploration will be needed to eliminate it.