In his book "How to Change History," Robin Hemley examines how individuals navigate history and the conflict between personal and public histories. Through a series of essays, Hemley explores a variety of topics — photography, television, stalkers, his own parents' lives as writers — in an effort to restore and reclaim what might otherwise be lost.
His work examines how much of history is never written or becomes blurred by memory, and ultimately contends that while we can't change events once they've passed, returning to those moments can help us learn or even change our understanding about the past.
Robin Hemley is the author or editor of 16 books, including "Oblivion: An After Autobiography," "The Art and Craft of Asian Stories: A Writer’s Guide and Anthology" with co-author Xu Xi, and "Borderline Citizen: Dispatches from the Outskirts of Nationhood." An innovator of the contemporary essay, Hemley has won numerous fellowships, residencies, awards, and Pushcart Prizes. He is the founder of the international nonfiction conference NonfictioNOW.
