WRIT 1702 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Thesis Statement, The Techniques, Institutional Racism
WRIT 1702
January 10, 2018
Life Writing: Girl Interrupted
Life writing:
● Any kind of writing people do to record their lived experience
● Distinction between conscious and unconscious life writing
○ Unconscious = not intended for publication
○ Changes how it’s written, details are changed when a piece is prepared for
publication
○ Most life writing is conscious, deliberately written and intended to be read
● Memoir: series of scenes, non-linear part of someone’s life. Intended to convey
wisdom (wisdom)
● Graphic Novel, Manifesto (Political), Marginality
● Life writing’s goal is to transmit the wisdom of the author
○ Wisdom is the sum total of your experience, the lessons learnt, the insight
gained, and the ability to make good decisions based on these factors
● Intertwining of story (narrative) and preserved memory.
○ The techniques of good storytelling matter!
○ Story and memory are bound - James Olney
● Most life writing creates conflict, struggle, and/or growth
○ Conflict is inherently interesting, and we read to find how it is resolved
○ How did they figure out their problem? (What is the preferred reading of their
idea)
○ Is there advice for us in the battle they fought?
○ We find conflict interesting, if nothing is happening we find it boring
● Life writing communicates the author’s interpretation
○ An event is reconstructed, given meaning, and interpreted for the reader by
the author - their preferred reading
● The ‘so what’ question is always front and centre
○ No thesis statement, but always and understanding of why the writing
matters, what beliefs and values it supports
○ Preferred reading
○ Why does this topic matter?
● Subjectivity: based on personal viewpoint and opinion
Autobiography and Memoir
● Autobiography
○ A western form of writing: St. Augustine’s Confessions
○ Written in first person singular
○ Affirmation of a lived life, of personal identity
○ Assumption that autobiographies are true, they are still subjective
○ A sense of the author’s life and self as a unified whole
● Memoir
○ Written at any period of the life, to understand a particular incident
○ Focuses on the ‘best part’ a turning point in the search for identity
Document Summary
Any kind of writing people do to record their lived experience. Distinction between conscious and unconscious life writing. Changes how it"s written, details are changed when a piece is prepared for publication. Most life writing is conscious, deliberately written and intended to be read. Memoir: series of scenes, non-linear part of someone"s life. Life writing"s goal is to transmit the wisdom of the author. Wisdom is the sum total of your experience, the lessons learnt, the insight gained, and the ability to make good decisions based on these factors. Intertwining of story (narrative) and preserved memory. Story and memory are bound - james olney. Most life writing creates conflict, struggle, and/or growth. Conflict is inherently interesting, and we read to find how it is resolved. How did they figure out their problem? (what is the preferred reading of their idea) We find conflict interesting, if nothing is happening we find it boring.
