Memoir is huge. Whether it will be forever, or for much longer, is up for debate. For now, memoir is hotter than a snake's belly caught in a wagon rut!

In this podcast, we talk with author Julie Rak whose latest book is Boom! Manufacturing Memoir for the Popular Market (Wilfrid Laurier University Press). We discuss the book that signalled the birth of memoir mania and attempt to answer the question "Are all memoirists narcissists?" Of course, we'll chew on why Oprah needed so badly to throw James Frey under the bus, and more!

Julie Rak is a Professor in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Her current research is about autobiography and biography for mass markets.