Abstract
Chapter 3 is a reflection on the theory and methodology of literary biography, based on the author’s experience of writing a life of Edith Sitwell whose autobiographical accounts are often not factual. For many years, literary biographers have placed their trust in a method akin to logical positivism – with an emphasis on recording obscure facts judged according to a true/false binary. Since many of Sitwell’s anecdotes (and those of other authors) are tall tales, parables of identity, or personal myths, their real value as evidence has been misunderstood. Many biographies fail to develop narratives, themes, or pathways of significance, and become instead enormous dumping grounds for undigested facts. The truth of biography, the chapter argues, lies in the interplay of carefully delineated personal, literary, social, and cultural narratives.
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