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.