Terry McDonell has served as editor for multiple iconic magazines, including Sports Illustrated, Esquire, and Rolling Stone. His first memoir was “The Accidental Life: An Editor’s Notes on Writing and Writers.”
His book “Irma: The Education of a Mother’s Son” focuses more on his strong and influential mother and the defining moments of his life as a boy and young man. McDonell talks about his mother’s urging him to look at things that were uncomfortable and to learn from them. He also discusses his challenging relationship with his mother’s violent and racist boyfriend, and the role of memory in nonfiction.