Voyage into depths of silence

THERE is generally an unwritten rule when it comes to using writing as a form of catharsis: don’t do it because it tends to produce self-indulgent, sentimental, codswallop.
The memoir genre, however, may be the one exception to this unspoken gentlemen’s agreement. For those who have suffered the unfortunate business of a miserable childhood, sharing that experience with a popular audience can be one way of making peace with your dysfunctional past.