BLOG #1: Shit My Dad Says

In the realm of biographical writing there are possible issues of consent and representation of others.  In “Friday essay: Can you keep a secret? Family memoirs break taboos- and trust”, an article by Ashley Barnwell for The Conversation, she considers the examples of family memoirs in which those who were written about were displeased with the portrayal of the story or the distribution in general.  In My Struggle by Karl Ove Knausgaard the members of his family were very upset with the telling of their private details and conflicts.  Knausgaard’s memoir is “tell-all” in that it exposes every intimate detail at the possible expense of both himself and his non-consenting subjects.  It covers everything from the “rancid excrement that stand his incontinent grandmother’s couch” to “his second wife’s struggle with bipolar”.  His familial relationships have all suffered as a result, and many have severed all contact with him.  My Struggle demonstrates what practices can cause the making of a family memoir go wrong.  An important aspect in writing about others is communicating with them about their representation.

     The development of a popular Twitter feed that can show positive interaction between the writer and his subject is @shitmydadsays.  Started by Justin Halpern as a way to collect his father’s words and share them with friends, it gained enough attention to become a best-selling book and a TV show.  The Twitter feed is a collection of single sentence quotes or longer dialogues of conversation with his father, Justin Halpern.  The attraction for some to read these is in the vulgarity and “aggressive honesty” of his father’s statements and beliefs.  Despite the somewhat negative portrayal, his father is satisfied with the arrangement.  The two collaborated in the creation of the book with Justin going over every chapter with his father to confirm his support.  Justin claims that this has strengthened their relationship and brought them closer together, if anything.  The book depicts a positive relationship with his father from childhood to adulthood, while still including personal details and stories revealing of character.  @shitmydadsays contrasts with My Struggle mainly in the interaction between the writer and his subjects.  I suggest that in the writing of an biographical texts such as these, the overall attitude and relationships outlined affect and are representative of the relationship at the time of writing and publication.  In that way, the past has a direct influence on the present and future.  The family memoir is a slippery slope, and it is important to accept the cooperation of others in order to not fall.

http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1990838,00.html
https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-can-you-keep-a-secret-family-memoirs-break-taboos-and-trust-52699
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