Thomas Couser, Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson, and Gillian Whitlock all remind us that life narratives are commodities that circulate in the global literary marketplace. In that marketplace, these scholars note, some kinds of stories and some kinds of subjects will sell, or can be made to sell. Others can\u2019t or won\u2019t, and we should think about the voices, experiences, and stories that are missing from or fail in the market. Best-sellers and literary failures help us understand the values and expectations of consumers, particularly consumers in the West, and how the market for life narratives can conform to or resist those values and expectations.<\/p>\n
To understand these ideas, we have to think about how what we consume is shaped for us: we don\u2019t read in a vacuum. (To get a sense of the network of writers, companies, media, and readers involved in a book\u2019s publication and reception, check out this listicle<\/a>.) In \u201cIntroduction: Word Made Flesh,\u201d Whitlock argues we need to pay attention to the \u201cmaterial processes\u201d of \u201cproduction, transmission, and reception of autobiographical texts\u201d (14). In particular, she asks us to attend to the \u201cfeatures that surround and cover the text,\u201d what Gerard Genette calls the paratext<\/em>. There are two aspects of paratext: the peritext<\/strong><\/em> (\u201cthe covers, introductions, acknowledgements, dedications, blurbs\u201d) and the epitext<\/em><\/strong> (\u201cthe elements ouside of the bound volume,\u201d including \u201creviews and criticism across various mass media, movements of the celebrity circuit; the book prizes and the calendar of literary festivals\u201d). When we read paratext, Whitlock\u00a0suggests we read with these questions in mind:<\/p>\n Who is getting to speak autobiographically, how, and why? To what effect? What becomes a best-seller, and what is remaindered or republished? How do these solicit our attention? What kinds of engagement come into play? How do these appeal to readers, and what kind of consumers are we asked to become? (14)<\/p>\n (For more on paratext, see Smith and Watson 99-102.)<\/p>\n In your next\u00a0blog post, choose one of our life narratives that you did not write about for the genre analysis, and write an analysis based on EITHER option a or b, below. As you write, think about Whitlock\u2019s questions (as well as your own), as you consider the implications of what you\u2019re observing in these aspects of marketing. Talk about the significance of what you observe, what it helps us to better understand.<\/p>\n Remember to follow ethical research practices and good blogging design in your use of links, reporting expressions, and citations.<\/p>\n Posts are due Friday at noon, and comments by Monday noon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Thomas Couser, Sidonie Smith and Julia Watson, and Gillian Whitlock all remind us that life narratives are commodities that circulate in the global literary marketplace. In that marketplace, these scholars note, some kinds of stories and some kinds of subjects … Continue reading \n