Studies in Writing: Autotheory

What is autotheory? What does it do? What has prompted the “autotheoretical turn”? What traditions and scholarship has autotheory emerged from? What does autotheory make possible? These are some of the questions we'll explore in this course. 

Following the publication of Maggie Nelson’s book The Argonauts in 2015, the term “autotheory” began trending in the literary world. Autotheory is often used to describe critical work that blends memoir, autobiography, critical theory, and philosophy. In this course, we’ll examine the politics, ethics, and practices of autotheory in literary nonfiction and other arts. 

Primary autotheory texts may include work by: Gloria Anzaldua, Eli Clare, Julietta Singh, Maggie Nelson, Bhanu Kapil, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Saidiya Hartman, Monica Huerta, Christina Sharpe, Claudia Rankine, Sara Ahmed, Frantz Fanon, and Roland Barthes, among others. We'll also read criticism and scholarship about autotheory.

Independent and collaborative assignments may include weekly reading and responses, book reviews, presentations, class discussion leads, and a final project.