Reminiscence

Literary reminiscence is writing based on the author's memory of a particular time, place, or incident.

In his book Naked David Sedaris describes in great detail how he worked at an apple-sorting plant in Oregon, and how he didn't know how to sort “fancy apples” compared to “bulk apples.” Sedaris writes about this specific event with many adjectives and supporting details.

Another author who relied on this literary device is Marcel Proust. He is best known for writing the novel In Search of Lost Time.

Memoir is another term for reminiscence.