Download or read book Writing Lives written by Midge Gillies and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-25 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In addition to exploring the key characteristics of life writing, this book examines the relationship between the lives of authors and the influence of these lives both on their own writing and on the reception of their work by contemporary and later readers.
Download or read book The Impossible Craft written by Scott Donaldson and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2015-02-23 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Impossible Craft, Scott Donaldson explores the rocky territory of literary biography, the most difficult that biographers try to navigate. Writers are accustomed to controlling the narrative, and notoriously opposed to allowing intruders on their turf. They make bonfires of their papers, encourage others to destroy correspondence, write their own autobiographies, and appoint family or friends to protect their reputations as official biographers. Thomas Hardy went so far as to compose his own life story to be published after his death, while falsely assigning authorship to his widow. After a brief background sketch of the history of biography from Greco-Roman times to the present, Donaldson recounts his experiences in writing biographies of a broad range of twentieth-century American writers: Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Cheever, Archibald MacLeish, Edwin Arlington Robinson, Winfield Townley Scott, and Charlie Fenton. Donaldson provides readers with a highly readable insiders’ introduction to literary biography. He suggests how to conduct interviews, and what not to do during the process. He offers sound advice about how closely biographers should identify with their subjects. He examines the ethical obligations of the biographer, who must aim for the truth without unduly or unnecessarily causing discomfort or worse to survivors. He shows us why and how misinformation comes into existence and tends to persist over time. He describes “the mythical ideal biographer,” an imaginary creature of universal intelligence and myriad talents beyond the reach of any single human being. And he suggests how its very impossibility makes the goal of writing a biography that captures the personality of an author a challenge well worth pursuing.
Download or read book Literary Biography written by Michael J. Benton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-08-03 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary Biography: An Introduction illustrates and accounts for the literary genre that merges historical facts with the conventions of narrative while revealing how the biographical context can enrich the study of canonical authors. Provides up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of issues and controversies in life writing, a rapidly growing field of study Offers a valuable biographical and historical context for the study of major classic and contemporary authors Features an interview with Wilfred Owen's biographer, Dominic Hibberd; a gallery of literary portraits with commentaries; close readings that illustrate the differences between fiction and biography; speculation about likely future developments; and detailed suggestions for further reading
Download or read book Literary Biographies in The Lives of Remarkable People Series in Russia written by Carol Ueland and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-03-14 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The legendary Russian biography series, The Lives of Remarkable People, has played a significant role in Russian culture from its inception in 1890 until today. The longest running biography series in world literature, it spans three centuries and widely divergent political and cultural epochs: Imperial, Soviet, and Post-Soviet Russia. The authors argue that the treatment of biographical figures in the series is a case study for continuities and changes in Russian national identity over time. Biography in Russia and elsewhere remains a most influential literary genre and the distinctive approach and branding of the series has made it the economic engine of its publisher, Molodaia gvardiia. The centrality of biographies of major literary figures in the series reflects their heightened importance in Russian culture. The contributors examine the ways that biographies of Russia's foremost writers shaped the literary canon while mirroring the political and social realities of both the subjects’ and their biographers' times. Starting with Alexander Pushkin and ending with Joseph Brodsky, the authors analyze the interplay of research and imagination in biographical narrative, the changing perceptions of what constitutes literary greatness, and the subversive possibilities of biography during eras of political censorship.
Download or read book Mapping Lives written by Peter France and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2004-09-23 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These essays on the problems and functions of biography - particularly those of writers, thinkers and artists - investigate a subject of enduring importance for those interested in culture.
Download or read book The Biography of the Idea of Literature written by Adrian Marino and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 1996-01-01 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive examination of the meaning, history, and evolution of the basic notion of "literature" from antiquity to the seventeenth century.
Download or read book Zora Neale Hurston written by Stephanie Li and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-01-16 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this biography, chronological chapters follow Zora Neale Hurston's family, upbringing, education, influences, and major works, placing these experiences within the context of American history. This biography of Zora Neale Hurston, one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century and a central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, is primarily for students and will cover all of the major points of development in Hurston's life as well as her major publications. Hurston's impact extends beyond the literary world: she also left her mark as an anthropologist whose ethnographic work portrays the racial struggles during the early 20th century American South. This work includes a preface and narrative chapters that explore Hurston's literary influences and the personal relationships that were most formative to her life; the final chapter, "Why Zora Neale Hurston Matters," explores her cultural and historical significance, providing context to her writings and allowing readers a greater understanding of Hurston's life while critically examining her major writing.
Download or read book Writing Biography written by Lloyd E. Ambrosius and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2004-01-01 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The historian as biographer must resolve questions that reflect the dual challenge of telling history and telling lives: How does the biographer sort out the individual?s role within the larger historical context? How do biographical studies relate to other forms of history? Should historians use different approaches to biography, depending on the cultures of their subjects? What are the appropriate primary sources and techniques that scholars should use in writing biographies in their respective fields? In Writing Biography, six prominent historians address these issues and reflect on their varied experiences and divergent perspectives as biographers. Shirley A. Leckie examines the psychological and personal connections between biographer and subject; R. Keith Schoppa considers the pervasive effect of culture on the recognition of individuality and the presentation of a life; Retha M. Warnicke explores past context and modern cultural biases in writing the biographies of Tudor women; John Milton Cooper Jr. discusses the challenges of writing modern biographies and the interplay of the biographer?s own experiences; Nell Irvin Painter looks at the process of reconstructing a life when written documents are scant; and Robert J. Richards investigates the intimate relationship between life experiences and new ideas. Despite their broad range of perspectives, all six scholars agree on two central points: biography and historical analysis are inextricably linked, and biographical studies offer an important tool for analyzing historical questions.
Download or read book Jorge Luis Borges written by Emir Rodríguez Monegal and published by Paragon House Publishers. This book was released on 1988 with total page 546 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An obscure Argentine, after writing a few laconic stories on philosophical themes, is miraculously discovered by the French literati and goes on to become one of the most admired writers of the 20th century. Though this may sound like a rather improbable film plot, it is the story of Jorge Luis Borges, a story investigated in detail by Borges' close friend Emir Monegal. Professor Monegal, a Borges confidant for more than 30 years, has been able, as no one else possibly could, to unearth the facts from this legend that Borges has so deftly constructed around himself. The result is a narrative as intriguing as one of Borges' own stories of detection. Monegal traces Borges' development as a writer from its beginnings in the child called Georgie who lived in a rundown neighborhood on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, learning to read English before he could read Spanish, to the winner of the most prestigious international literary prizes. He skillfully links Borges' personal history with his literary production, providing a fascinating account of the unfolding and eventual fruition of a creative genius.--From publisher description.
Download or read book Nathaniel Hawthorne written by Milton Meltzer and published by Twenty-First Century Books. This book was released on 2006-08-01 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn about the life of the famous American author.
Download or read book Keepers of the Flame written by Ian Hamilton and published by Faber & Faber. This book was released on 2011-08-18 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary biography is an endlessly fascinating form, not least because of the fierce controversies that attend the question of how much of a writer's real life ought to be related to readers. Ian Hamilton, a first-rate biographer who encountering his share of adversity in writing the life of J.D. Salinger, is the perfect chronicler of such controversies in this brilliant study, first published in 1992, which charts the course of literary biography from Donne and Shakespeare to Plath and Larkin.'Such a compelling read.' Antonia Fraser, Times'Lively and informative, powerfully and humorously written.' Anthony Burgess, Observer'Surely the funniest book ever written on the doom-laden issue of posthumous literary fame.' Jonathan Keates, Independent
Download or read book How To Do Biography written by Nigel Hamilton and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-10-22 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is not surprising that biography is one of the most popular literary genres of our day. What is remarkable is that there is no accessible guide for how to write one. Now, following his recent Biography: A Brief History (from Harvard), award-winning biographer and teacher Nigel Hamilton tackles the practicalities of doing biography in this first succinct primer to elucidate the tools of the biographerÕs craft. Hamilton invites the reader to join him on a fascinating journey through the art of biographical composition. Starting with personal motivation, he charts the making of a modern biography from the inside: from conception to fulfillment. He emphasizes the need to know oneÕs audience, rehearses the excitement and perils of modern research, delves into the secrets of good and great biography, and guides the reader through the essential components of life narrative. With examples taken from the finest modern biographies, Hamilton shows how to portray the ages of manÑbirth, childhood, love, lifeÕs work, the evening of life, and death. In addition, he suggests effective ways to start and close a life story. He clarifies the difference between autobiography and memoirÑand addresses the sometimes awkward ethical, legal, and personal consequences of truth-telling in modern life writing. He concludes with the publication and reception of biographyÑits afterlife, so to speak. Written with humor, insight, and compassion, How To Do Biography is the manual that would-be biographers have long been awaiting.
Download or read book P G Wodehouse a Literary Biography written by Benny Green and published by . This book was released on 1981 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Writing Lives written by Leon Edel and published by W W Norton & Company Incorporated. This book was released on 1987 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer's summary of his lifework includes a study of the biographical art, which deals with problems of life-myth, archives, narrative forms, questions of transference, and fears of "psychologizing" in writing modern biographies
Download or read book Grace Paley s Life Stories written by Judith Arcana and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is at the core of Judith Arcana's biographical reading of this strongly autobiographical writer. Grace Paley's Life Stories interweaves details about Paley with critical discussions of her works, examining her as a woman, mother, activist, and Jew. Arcana visited and interviewed Paley at her homes in Vermont and New York over a period of several years. She also interviewed Paley's family, friends, and colleagues. Such extensive research is unmatched in Paley scholarship.
Download or read book Literary Biography written by Leon Edel and published by Bloomington : Indiana University Press. This book was released on 1973 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Life Writing written by R. Bradford and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-11-19 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume of more than twenty essays reflects the intersections between biography, autobiography and literature. Several pieces focus upon the contentious sub-genre of literary biography, while others examine the autobiographical threads that are detachable in literary writing and a variety of other forms.
