By Lookout Staff

December 13, 2011 -- Memoirs have become a hot new genre, and who better than the elderly to share their memories in print.

Santa Monica College just released the Fall 2011 issue of "Writings from Emeritus," a collection of compelling short memoirs from an autobiography writing class at Santa Monica College's Emeritus College for older adults.

"Some students are experienced writers, and for some, this is their first published story," said Monona Wali, the instructor of the autobiography class. "Together, they provide powerful evidence of why the memoir is such a popular and powerful art form."

The sixth volume of the annual publication features a memoir recalling an 11th birthdays spent in the notorious Bergen-Bielsen concentration camp. There also are pieces recalling a wealthy woman who served Kentucky Fried Chicken food at her expensive home and the tale of a young African American widow's struggle to make sense of her loss.

"In all, there are 25 pieces that provide first-person accounts of events big and small, in war and in peace, going back decades and bringing readers the depth and breadth of the human journey," college officials said.

The journal is available for $7 through the Emeritus College at 1227 Second Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For information, contact Wali at mononawali@mac.com or (310) 459-4942.

Emeritus College, started in 1975, serves more than 3,400 students annually and offers more than 160 classes and special programs to older adults.