A history of African American autobiography / edited by Joycelyn K. Moody.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Moody, Joycelyn, 1957- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American prose literature--African American authors--History and criticism.

American prose literature.

African Americans--Biography--History and criticism.

African Americans.

African American authors--Biography--History and criticism.

African American authors.

Biography as a literary form.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxxi, 399 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2021.

Summary:

This History explores innovations in African American autobiography since its inception, examining the literary and cultural history of Black self-representation amid life writing studies. By analyzing the different forms of autobiography, including pictorial and personal essays, editorials, oral histories, testimonials, diaries, personal and open letters, and even poetry performance media of autobiographies, this book extends the definition of African American autobiography, revealing how people of African descent have created and defined the Black self in diverse print cultures and literary genres since their arrival in the Americas. It illustrates ways African Americans use life writing and autobiography to address personal and collective Black experiences of identity, family, memory, fulfillment, racism and white supremacy. Individual chapters examine scrapbooks as a source of self-documentation, African American autobiography for children, readings of African American persona poems, mixed-race life writing after the Civil Rights Movement, and autobiographies by African American LGBTQ writers.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 30 Sep 2021).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781108880725

110888072X

9781108875660

1108875661

9781108890946

1108890946