Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir Jessica Dockter University of Minnesota Adapted from Beth Brendler 2008

Biography A branch of nonfiction: tells the story of the life -- or part of the life -- of a real person illuminates the interaction between an individual and historical events

Biography Although considered nonfiction, biography and autobiography can be either authentic or mostly fictional Fiction Nonfiction

Authentic Biography Grounded in fact - even dialog comes from historical record diaries letters journal entries photographs collected papers Usually contains lists of sources and addresses the author’s process

Biographical Fiction Few or no sources No distinction between what is fact and made up Includes thoughts and conversations we could not know

Biographical Fiction Goes beyond what is known about a subject Not a factual resource Often written about people alive before much historical documentation took place

Biographical Fiction Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac told in alternating chapters by Pocahontas & John Smith fictional stance extremely engaging

Biographical Fiction Ben and Me by Robert Lawson –told from the point of view of a mouse

Biographies for Children Used To: make people more heroic than human showed the subject as a paragon of virtue with no faults be written to provide moral lessons

Now… Writers / publishers view biography as a chance for children to learn about the lives and times of people who have made a significant impact on the world

And… With this altered view of the role of biography have come books that focus on people who are not necessarily heroes

Biography Contemporary people living out their lives One Boy from Kosovo by Trish Marx

Biography Villains: The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by James Cross Giblin Good Brother, Bad Brother: The Story of Edwin Booth and John Wilkes Booth by James Cross Giblin

Biography Kids like biographies about people they are interested in. Sports biographies are a wonderful way to engage a non-reader.

Evaluating Biography May include: List of resources Source notes Bibliography Glossary Photographs

Evaluating Biography Settings are clearly & accurately depicted Full of interesting social details Linked to the development of the subject’s character & accomplishments

Evaluating Biography Plots blend factual background with a good story Distinguishes between fact and opinion Subjects portrayed as multidimensional – with strengths and weaknesses

Authentic Biography Lincoln: A Photobiography By Russell Freedman Exemplifies what an authentic biography should be.

Authentic Biography Freedman carefully distinguishes fact from opinion and truth from legend Includes direct quotations from Lincoln Gives a panoramic view of society and politics at the time

Authentic Biography Ben Franklin’s Almanac: Being a True Account of the Good Gentleman’s Life by Candace Fleming Fleming used archival materials to format her book Patterns the book after Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac

Episodic Biographies Highlight a part of someone’s life Allow authors to present a lot of details and events in a manageable number of pages Provide young readers with details without sacrificing authenticity

Episodic Biographies Langston’s Train Ride by Robert Burleigh Captures the moment Langston Hughes came to believe in himself as a writer.

Complete Biographies Span the entire life of a person Authentic – everything is documented

Simple or Brief Biographies Not episodic –Spans the entire life of the person Be careful – Simple may present a less than authentic picture

Collective Biographies We Were There, Too: Young People in American History by Phillip Hoose

Collective Biographies Lives of the Artists by Kathleen Krull Women of Hope by Joyce Hansen African American women

Memoir Based on events in the life of the author Interpretive accounts in which events are selected and arranged to bring out a particular theme or personality trait Not meant to be a source of facts, but an evocation of the subject’s life in the subject’s own words

Memoir and Autobiography Memoir is less grounded in fact – based on memory and perception Events are interpretive Usually have some theme –growing up –remaining true to culture –determination

Memoir and Autobiography Autobiography and biography: typically move between birth & fame Memoir: a collection of emblematic moments, snapshots, and vignettes that bring out some truth about the writer’s life

Memoir & Autobiography for Adolescents I