As I stand in the bookstore, all these faces look down upon me. Their wrinkles and restless eyes showing signs of the incredible tales they have to tell. Others have stood in this very same position, developing a sense of inspiration from all the amazing things these people have done, but instead,  I question; Why is it that their faces and stories make it on the bookshelves, while some others are forgotten? As Gillian Whitlock questions in Soft Weapons: Autobiography in Transit, “Who is getting to speak autobiographically, how, and why? To what effect? What becomes a best-seller, and what is remaindered or republished?” (Whitlock 14) When looking at all these faces on the shelves, I begin to see patterns lying in them. War survivors, refugee seekers, world changers, all of these people have something in common: they have overcome a challenge, and through it, impacted the lives of those around them.

One particular book that caught my eye was called Brain on Fire, by Susannah Cahalan. Brain on Fire is a memoir following Cahalan’s struggle to recapture her identity after an autoimmune disease took control of her body and mind, wiping her memory and landing her in a hospital for a month. The cover contains a close up of the author, and a black title contrasted to a bright yellow background, which really works to catch the eye. Along with the title, there is a quote from NPR, praising the author for her incredible work, a subtitle reading, “My Month of Madness”, and a recognition stating that the book is a #1 New York Times Bestseller. The description of the book seems to be written in a rather vague way, as to make a prospective buyer more curious of what is inside. But when it comes to answering the questions Whitlock urges to analyze, observations arise. By looking at Brain on Fire and other life narratives, I found that most people who have the ability to get their work published are bringing something new to the table, while also, as I said above, overcoming a challenge, and impacting those around them. In the case of Brain on Fire, the author struggled with an illness called anti-NMDA encephalitis, a relatively new disease in the sense that it has not been studied in-depth in the past. This means the narrative could appeal to those in the medical field, along with those just looking for a thrilling read. But what really seems to draw the line between a popular piece, and one that doesn’t receive recognition, is the degree to which the content matters to those in modern society. A life narrative could simply be about discovering ones self through traveling, like in the case of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and make it big, because many people in modern society are on quests for self discovery as well, and this is what they and the rest of the market are interested in. A life narrative could be an incredible work of art, but it requires an audience that is interested in the topic in order to sell well in today’s competitive market.