#134 Writing a Memoir That’s Also an Industry Exposé Featuring Hannah Selinger

How do you turn personal experience into a powerful memoir that names names?
Estelle Erasmus talks with Hannah Selinger, author of Cellar Rat, about transitioning from essayist to memoirist while tackling the dark side of the restaurant industry.

In this episode:

• How Hannah’s viral essay led to a book deal

• What it means to write a memoir that’s also investigative

• Naming names and dealing with backlash

• The role of narrative in exposing abuse and toxic culture

About Hannah:

Hannah Selinger, author of Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly, is a James Beard Award-nominated lifestyle writer and mother of two based in Boxford, MA. Her print and digital work has appeared in the New YorkTimes Magazine, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and elsewhere. Her 2021 Bon Appétit essay, "In My Childhood Kitchen, I Learned Both Fear and Love," is anthologized in the 2022 Best American Food Writing collection, published by HarperCollins and edited by Sohla El-Waylly.

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.hannahselinger.net

Instagram: https://instagram.com/druishamericanprincess

🎙️ Hosted by Estelle Erasmus
Award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, NYU professor, and 2025 Podcast of the Year (Education) winner.

📚 Learn more: estelleserasmus.com
📘 Buy the book: Writing That Gets Noticed
📰 Subscribe: estelleserasmus.substack.com

Get Cellar Rat on Estelle’s bookshop

https://bookshop.org/p/books/cellar-rat-my-life-in-the-restaurant-underbelly-hannah-selinger/21633914?aid=98827&ean=9780316570770&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct

Mentioned in the episode: Estelle’s substack post Why Taping My Podcast Reminds Me of Working in Magazines

https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-taping-my-podcast-reminds-me

Read Estelle’s latest post on Substack (and an editing offer for paid subscribers): 5 Hard Truths about Essay Writing

https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/5-hard-truths-about-essay-writing

Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [e-mail] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.

Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes

https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html