Getting a Life: Everyday Uses of Autobiography

From resumes to personal ads, from talk shows to self-help groups, autobiographical storytelling has become a central theme of American culture. Visual media offer possible lives through soap operas, talk shows, and "lifestyle programming", and newspapers and magazines frame their stories as "personality profiles". This text explores a variety of occasions during which people consume personal narratives. This collection aims to expand our understanding of how we negotiate and commodify identity.