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The Norton Book of American Autobiography
by
Jay Parini
,
Gore Vidal
From Mary Rowlandson's story of her capture by Indians in the mid-seventeenth century to Mary Paik Lee's story of being a pioneer Korean woman in America at the beginning of the twentieth century, the autobiographical form has provided our most vivid, intimate glimpses of daily American life and self-understanding.
In this groundbreaking anthology, respected writer and crit ...more
In this groundbreaking anthology, respected writer and crit ...more
Hardcover
,
720 pages
Published
March 17th 1999
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published February 1st 1999)
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Community Reviews
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Aug 09, 2011
Sean Kearns
added it
Great collection of autobiographies serves as an introduction to the genre, as well as a glimpse into lower-middle class American life spanning the massive girth of time from the 15th century to the 21st. I still periodically re-visit certain pieces, such as Wright's masterpiece "Black Boy" and Thoreau's "Walden." This anthology again iterates that a nation's history can be taught and learned through a common man's anecdotes.
Jay Parini’s ten-page introduction is especially helpful for writers of memoir who want to more deeply understand the genre of autobiography, its forms and history. I’ve practically worn this book out even though the binding is of the highest quality. It has been
absolutely essential
in my education as a writer.
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Jay Parini (born 1948) is an American writer and academic. He is known for novels and poetry, biography and criticism.
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