Literary Autobiography and the Art of Self-Representation

Does autobiography reflect or construct identity? Is autobiography obliged to tell the truth? What formal structures and literary devices have writers used to represent themselves? In this course we will explore the art of self-representation. Along our path of inquiry we will encounter the regrets of St. Augustine, the wild extravagances of the sculptor Cellini, the "floating life" of Shen Fu, the moving narrative of Frederick Douglass, and Maggie Nelson's lyrical and experimental Bluets. In addition to writing short literary analyses of the readings, students will author their own autobiographical essay and critique it. This course counts as elective credit toward the ENAM major.