Autobiographical Books Research Articles

120th Birth Anniversary of the Writer Ieva Simonaitytė: Memory, Heritage, and Communication

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]
 The subject of research is the experience and results of the commemoration of the 120th birth anniversary of the writer Ieva Simonaitytė (1897–1978). The significance of this event, celebrated on the national scale, like other anniversaries of prominent personalities in Lithuanian history, was validated by the decision of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and by the 2017 State program,approved by the Prime Minister. Such a decision meant that the State pledged itself to highlight the writer‘s humanistic values and her creative heritage. The aims of research were to determine the initiatives of the writer’s anniversary commemoration, the most important documents and the objectives raised in them, the process of their realization, the achievements and the content. According to the collected data, the events commemorating Ieva Simonaitytė‘s anniversary were held all over Lithuania. However, the most important ones were centred in the writer’s native land – West Lithuania, the former Klaipėda Region. Major events were organized in the cities and towns of Klaipėda, Šilutė, Pagėgiai, Priekulė, Gargždai as the cultural centres of the nearest local authorities. Such an orientation can be explained by the limited budgetary funding of the commemoration program, with scanty allocations mainuly channeled to the region’s libraries, museums, Klaipėda University academics, the local movements of cultural workers and public figures and theinitiatives launched by them. As regards the scholarly and information aspect, due to the pool of intellectual and financial resources, Vilnius played an important role. The scientific institutions of the capital city held a seminar and discus sion on The Relevance of Ieva Simonaitytė, and the texts of the reports of the participants were published in the journal Colloquia (2017, Nr. 38); the Vilnius University Academic Publishers published a book of evidential texts and reminiscences, I’m Evė, Daughter of Etmė. Lithuanian Radio and Television released a documentary Ieva Simonaitytė and a radio version of the novel Vilius Karalius; they are professional and powerful, unfortunately, somewhat belated as they were shown at the end of the anniversary year. The program did not contain any long-term projects: the major novels and autobiographical books by Simonaitytė were not republished; compilation of the home library catalogue and the author’s bibliography was not undertaken; the publication of the epistolary heritage, especially in the German language, was not continued; and a conference on the up-to-date analysis and assessment of the personality and her work was not held. The public was disappointed by the dire state of the Ieva Simonaitytė memorial museum in the town of Priekulė and failure to include it in to the activities of promoting her creative heritage. The Lithuanian general education schools have a problem too: the writer‘s literary works had been removed from their curricula for 20 years. When it was included into them again in 2016, teachers were faced with difficulties due to the lost experience and methods, the inability to convey the national, moral and social problems raised in the novels, the exceptional qualities of her characters, and the powerful suggestibility of Simonaitytė’s narratives. During discussions, the duty to fulfil the writer’s will was stressed: to move her remains from Vilnius to the garden at her memorial museum in Priekulė. To realize these tasks, it is necessary to prepare a long-term (for the duration of several years) program of commemorating Simonaitytė‘s work. Her novels are still relevant today as it was witnessed by a piece of investigative journalism: while celebrating the centenary of the restoration of Lithuania‘s independence, in the list of the Hundred of Centenary Books rated by a public opinion poll, the most important books of the writer were placed sixth and seventh.

A Surrealist Writer’s Diary of a Twenty-One-Month Anthropological Expedition

A Surrealist Writer’s Diary of a Twenty-One-Month Anthropological Expedition

Why We Do and What We Do : The Experience of Good English Language Learners

This narrative inquiry explores how good English language learners’ (GELLs) L2 motivation and usage of language learning strategies change over time based on the onset age of active English learning in the Korean English as a foreign language (EFL) context. And also the current study examines how GELLs learn English. The authors investigated a total dataset of 83 GELLs from 25 autobiographical books on “How I succeed in learning English as a foreign language.” Results indicated that as GELLs’ language proficiency increased, their L2 motivation changed in different patterns depending on the onset age of active English learning. Second, GELLs preferred metacognitive, cognitive, memorization, and social strategies both at the beginning and advanced stage of the English learning process regardless of the onset age of active learning. Finally, GELLs acquired English through a well-balanced language course regardless of the onset age of active learning. Pedagogical implications and future research suggestions are also discussed.

The Lives of Douglass, Du Bois, and Washington: Self-Actualization Among African American Males

Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Booker T. Washington are pioneering examples of African American leaders who realized the fullness of their potentialities despite profound obstacles toward growth. It was through their abilities to respond to the shared needs of the African American community that they culturally epitomized the spirit of what Abraham Maslow defined as self-actualization. The researcher utilized text-based data to examine the process of development among the three historic figures as they relate to Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. The researcher analyzed published autobiographical books, essays, and speeches authored by each of the three men while integrating the cultural and historical context of their lived experiences through the humanistic and positive psychological lens of Maslow’s theory of self-actualization. Through a qualitative autobiographical analysis of the three men, the researcher discovered 15 common attributes in their process of self-actualization. Low self-esteem, depression, and learned helplessness are negatively affecting many aspects of the African American community; therefore, community leaders, mental health practitioners, and other advocates for underserved communities of color have an opportunity to provide enhanced training and treatment to help slow the tide of unrealized potential within key sectors of the African American community.

“Someone Just Like Me”

This study extends a line of inquiry established by researchers using narrative theory to investigate the discourses of psychiatry. Drawing primarily on theories of narrative and genre, the study analyzes a series of autobiographical books intended for an audience of youth suffering from mental illness. Our research investigates how the rhetorical design of the books harnesses the discursive affordances of autobiographical narrative to encourage a particular uptake on the part of a reader suffering from mental illness. Performing an analysis of four of the books in the series, we found them to exhibit a design in which autobiographical narrative is used to prompt an anticipated uptake by the reader: motivation to commit to therapy and engage in lifelong self-care. The study offers insights to authors producing texts intended to support psychiatric practitioners in guiding youth toward recovery from mental illness.

L’eroismo dimidiato: alcune riflessioni sull’autobiografismo ne Il sergente nella neve di Mario Rigoni Stern

THE HALVED HEROISM: SOME REFLECTIONS ON AUTOBIOGRAPHISM IN MARIO RIGONI STERN’S IL SERGENTE NELLA NEVE this article aims to analyse the image that the writer Mario Rigoni Stern wants to give of himself as a soldier abandoned to his fate during the disastrous Russian campaign of 1942-1943. Hence, this paper begins by mentioning the importance of autobiographism in neorealist literature after World War II. In the first part of the article, works by Paul Ricœur, Philippe Lejeune, Ivan tassi, and Maria Anna Mariani will be considered in order to emphasise that, in autobiographical books, the writer “builds”, “transforms”, his or her own image according to a specific ideology. Following this premise, the analysis of Il sergente nella neve, according to the contemporary theories of autobiography, aims to highlight the image that the writer wants to give of himself as a soldier, an image simultaneously humanised and heroised. In fact, in his own humanity, Rigoni Stern’s hero tragically takes on an epic dimension. thus, it can be concluded that the inhuman effort of a man who is leftalone in front of a hostile nature and a powerful enemy creates a new example of the epic hero. Furthermore, the self-image modelled in this text is presented as an individual who is fighting not only for his own survival, but also for the survival of his companions. He is a leader to follow and a reference point, a soldier who does not fight for a political cause, but for greater values, like friendship, love, or honour.

›To Make a Statement‹. The Representation of Black Consciousness in Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom (1987)

As one of the most viewed films on apartheid South Africa, Sir Richard Attenborough’s Oscar-nominated Cry Freedom helped push the atrocities of the apartheid system to the forefront of public attention. The screenplay was based on South African journalist Donald Woods’ autobiographical books Biko (1978) and Asking for Trouble (1981), which detail Woods’ relationship with Biko and the court trial following Biko’s death in police custody.

Maus, la bande dessinée et le dessin comme témoignages sur la shoah

ABSTRACTIf Maus is nowadays unanimously acclaimed as a masterpiece, numerous questions were raised since its publication, which show several misunderstandings due to Maus genre itself: a comic book. When it was published, for the first time the testimony of an Holocaust survivor was genuinely narrated through a comic book. Nonetheless, questions were raised regarding the nature of Maus and whether it was a biography or a fiction. A comic book, even more a comic book depicting the Holocaust with animals representing humans, couldn't be a representation of reality, while a text, or a movie, cause no such question regarding the transposition of reality through a way or another. Such questions surrounding Maus shed light on a broader topic, the common perception of drawing. It can be summarized by a simple statement: drawing is art. While tens of thousands drawings were drawn by Holocaust (or Third Reich) victims, they are usually seen has illustrations, pieces of art, while they should be seen for what they are really: first and foremost draw testimonies, i.e. sources, which should be analyzed and used as such. Maus is also milestone in comic book history. Then the comic industry, both in Europe and the US, was perceived essentially as a children media. Maus is one of the comic books published in the 1980's which changed the perception of the genre and gave to it credibility. If Maus had a major impact on the public opinion regarding comic books, it had also a major impact on the genre itself and is by many aspects a turning point. It innovates on various aspects: one of the first autobiographical comic books, the project was conducted during almost two decades, from the beginning of the 1970's until 1991 and the publication of the second, and final, volume, with a format previously unseen. And while before its publication only a handful of comic books dared to address the Holocaust, since dozens comics books did so.

Charles Swithinbank

Charles Swithinbank

Navigating the Worldly and the Divine: Jewish American Artists on Judaism and their Art

The history of American art boasts a large number of prominent artists with Jewish backgrounds, including artists as diverse as Richard Avedon, Audrey Flack, Robert Frank, and Lee Krasner. Whether or not these artists’ religiocultural inheritance influence(d) their art has been of recent interest. This article presents some Jewish American artists’ own thoughts on the Jewishness of their art or the spiritual dimensions that shape their artistic conceptions. Several rich sources have supplied this important primary material, including the artists’ personal writings, notably an impressive body of autobiographical books and comments, and the author’s oral interviews and written correspondence with many of the living artists. By offering some Jewish American artists’ perceptions of their background and work, not only can we see the diversity of the artists’ Jewish identifications but these new perspectives will invigorate subsequent discussions of both their Jewish and non-Jewish themed work.

Female Rock Stars and Addiction in Autobiographies

Aim This article analyses addiction and rehabilitation as described in the autobiographies, memoirs and diaries of famous female rock artists. The article shows how female artists portray rock culture, addiction and causes to addiction. Material The data includes 16 autobiographical books published between 1982 and 2010. These books were published first in English. Female rock artists are marked as the first authors, and all of the books use first-person narration. Method The analysis relies on thematic qualitative analysis and narratology. Data were encoded for addiction, object of addiction, rehabilitation and type of recovery from addiction. Gender was analysed as a separate category. In addition, narrative strategies used in the books were analysed. Results Addictions and rehabilitation are prevalent themes in autobiographical rock books written by female authors. Many authors write about their personal experiences of addiction and rehabilitation. Those authors who do not portray their personal problems with alcohol or drugs write about staying sober as a way of coping in the male-dominated rock world. Conclusions Rock ‘n’ roll mythology is changing. Rock artists no longer celebrate their excesses, but rather write about their negative experiences with alcohol and drugs. Rock narratives by female stars portray social and gendered settings which lead to addiction.

What can we learn from service user memoirs? Information and service user experience

SummaryService user memoirs are frequently reviewed in The Psychiatrist and other related journals. Some academic publications include first-hand accounts of mental ill health, and there is a lively market for autobiographical books and articles about mental illness. But clinicians already have extensive contact with service users and it might seem unlikely that they have much to gain from reading memoirs. In this article I suggest that the greater depth of reflection in published memoirs means clinicians do in fact have something to learn. I illustrate my argument by showing how memoirs cast a light on the world of information and conclude by suggesting reasons why memoirs raise issues that are of increasing clinical importance.

Addiction and rehabilitation in autobiographical books by rock artists, 1974–2010

This paper explores excessive appetites, addiction and rehabilitation as described in the autobiographies, memoirs and diaries of rock artists. The data collection focused on autobiographical rock books written in English by internationally recognised rock artists before 2011. In total, 96 autobiographical books were published between 1974 and 2010. The mean age of the authors was 50 years and 17% of the books were by female authors. Data were encoded for: (i) addiction; (ii) the object of addiction; (iii) personal addiction; (iv) rehabilitation; (v) personal rehabilitation; and (vi) the type of recovery from the addiction. Of the books, 82% described addiction, 62% personal addiction, 57% rehabilitation and 40% personal participation in rehabilitation. The most common addictions were alcoholism, opiate addiction and cocaine addiction. Addicted rock stars described addictions differently from non-addicts. Of addicted rock artists, 51% recovered with the help of rehabilitation, 42% self-recovered and 7% continued the excess. There has been an increase in the prevalence of addiction in autobiographical rock books over time. In addition, it was found that gender affected the type of recovery. Autobiographical books by rock artists have been published in increasing numbers in the last two decades. The artists in question have described their personal experiences of addiction and rehabilitation and discussed the problems related to alcohol, drugs and excessive behaviour. The books do not glamorise addiction or excessive lifestyles. Rather, they indicate that attitudes towards drugs and alcohol are changing in the rock business.

On the Irreducible Individuality of the Person and the Fullness of Life: Simon Gray’s Smoking Diaries

This article aims to challenge and expand notions of health, health care and health promotion, particularly in relation to smoking, via a consideration of the autobiographical literary work of the English playwright, Simon Gray. Gray died in 2008, having written a series of reflective autobiographical books, The Smoking Diaries. Gray was a lifelong smoker, perpetually trying to give up his habit. This article introduces Gray's diaries and their reflections on life, death, health care and smoking. It then enquires what can be learned about contemporary health care practices and assumptions from Gray's work. Finally, it reflects on the limits of views of health and health promotion when considered in the light of a fully lived life. In the life under consideration, health care risks are very differently understood to those prevalent in the medical community. Literary approaches to thinking about smoking are thus seen to place health and health care in broader, richer, and less instrumental perspectives than those that are common amongst contemporary health professionals and institutions.

On the Move: A Black Family's Western Saga (review)

Reviewed by: On the Move: A Black Family's Western Saga Bruce A. Glasrud On the Move: A Black Family's Western Saga. By S. R. Martin Jr. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2009. 195 pages, $24.95. S. R. Martin Jr., an African American who resides in the West, became "a black westerner" as he adopted western attributes, attitudes, ideas, and values while "on the move." This adaptation was not by chance, as he relates in his delightful On the Move: A Black Family's Western Saga. Martin's ancestors had earlier moved westward to Texas, settling in places such as Mexia and Palestine before many ended up in Fort Worth. Fort Worth emphasized its particular place with its slogan, "Where the West Begins," and this is where S. R. Martin Jr. and his brother were born. During the late 1930s, some of Martin's extended family began moving further west, to Montana, San Francisco, and the Monterey Bay peninsula, where Martin's parents settled. The author ultimately settled in the state of Washington, where he sought education and employment. On the Move is part of a rich and evolving story; it belongs with other biographical and autobiographical books of and by black westerners. Its recounting of the history and the movement west is similar to the excellent study by Texas A&M University historian Albert S. Broussard, whose African-American Odyssey: The Stewarts, 1853–1963 (1998) traced that family's western movement. Oscar Micheaux in three novels, Era Bell Thompson in America's Daughter (1946), and Taylor Gordon in Born to Be (1929) also describe becoming black westerners. As Martin and the others clearly articulate, race mattered, even if it was not overpowering or overbearing. For Thompson, in North Dakota, everything, including the people, was white as snow. Martin Jr.'s writing is enjoyable, poignant, and easy to read. It is filled with perceptive comments and with pithy, catchy sentences and phrases. He points out the importance of living with whites, of being sensitive to time, place, and conditions such as racial segregation. From each spot along the way, he and his family took and adopted western values and attitudes—an appreciation for the rugged spacious landscape, long distances, family, religion, music, a sense of place. As Martin phrased it, he discovered and enjoyed "wide open spaces, giant mountains, two hundred foot conifers, huge lakes, and rushing rivers" (83). They learned to enjoy the large cities as well as smaller towns such as Cody, Seaside, and Pullman. In the urban centers such as San Francisco, as Martin noted, "the hills, tall buildings, the streetcars, the bustle and business all captured me" (102). To be a black westerner involved a less debilitating racism; it was more spiritual than religious; it meant losing contact with family members back east; and it likely included more interracial friendships. "The threat of being black in a mainly white population disappeared" (83). S. R. Martin Jr. captured the essence of being a black westerner in his must-read book. [End Page 296] Bruce A. Glasrud Seguin, Texas Copyright © 2009 Western Literature Association

Social Comparison Processes in Autobiographies of Adult Cancer Survivors

Cancer survivors often compare their situations to other survivors' situations. However, types of social comparison processes used and resulting outcomes are not clearly delineated. This study explores usage and consequences of three social comparison styles (downward, upward and parallel) of adult cancer survivors in free narratives, using content analysis of 30 autobiographical books by survivors ranging in age from 30-70 (M = 54, SD = 10.04); 43 percent prostate cancer, 17 percent breast cancer and 40 percent other cancers. Overall, cancer survivors used more parallel comparisons than directional comparisons, followed by upward comparisons. Each type of comparison was associated with different kinds of positive and negative consequences.

The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944 (review)

Reviewed by: The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944 Arthur L. Funk The Jedburghs: The Secret History of the Allied Special Forces, France 1944. By Lt. Col. Will Irwin, U.S. Army (Ret.). New York: Public Affairs, 2005. ISBN 13-978-1-58648-307-4. Photographs. Appendix. Notes. Index. Pp. xxiv, 323. $26.95. Jedburgh was the code name for the 93 three-man teams parachuted into France from June to September 1944, for liaison with the Resistance. This international project brought together British, American, and French agents. One of the three team members had to be French, but the other two included various combinations: both British (39), both American (28), additional Frenchmen (18), one American and one British (8). The Jedburgh program [End Page 546] was truly innovative, uniting guerrillas, Allied Command, and regular armies. The author is a retired Army officer who served in the Special Forces and studied at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth. In his book he devotes several chapters to explanations of who the Jeds were, how they were chosen, how they were trained, and how they were assigned their targets. He provides a complete list of all the teams, as well as thumbnail sketches of the postwar careers of many participants. But the bulk of the book is devoted to narratives of six teams. These have a strong American flavor as all the members (except for one Briton and the mandatory Frenchmen) come from the United States. About half of the book is devoted to the liberation of Brittany with emphasis on teams Frederick and George, which were dropped with the French SAS (Special Air Service) 4th battalion. The landings attracted thousands of patriots, but lack of experience led to disaster when the Germans overran the base. It was not until August that elements of Patton's Third Army entered Brittany, and the Jeds cooperated thereafter with the regular forces. By mid-August Patton had turned from Brittany to the east, where he made contact with Jed Bruce, of which future CIA Director William Colby was a member. Bruce was helping the Maquis defend Patton's right flank. Patton in fact saw no threat from Germans to his south. His advice: "Just ignore 'em." Irwin next describes the unhappy mission of Jed Augustus, a team with two Americans and one Frenchman, all of whom were captured and executed. More successful was Jed Chloroform, launched from Algiers, and operating in the lower Alps. They destroyed a bridge to slow down a potential German attack from Italy. (The Allied High Command, knowing from Ultra intercepts that the Germans had no such intentions, had not disseminated this information to the Jedburgh level.) Finally, Irwin takes on Team Cedric, operating near Besançon, where the Briton George Millar controlled an SOE circuit. From Millar's autobiographical books one gets a fascinating account of Cedric's Douglas Bazata, whose energetic projects differed 180 degrees from Millar's low-key approach. As Irwin knows and admires Bazata, his favorable characterization is worth comparing with Millar's. Did the Jedburghs succeed? Irwin writes: "The answer . . . is in the effectiveness of resistance activities in support of the Allied campaign in France" (p. 236). There is much evidence to show that the Resistance provided significant assistance—but it would be virtually impossible to single out Jedburgh help as against that of SOE, AFHQ (Allied Force Headquarters), SAS, Operational Groups (OG), and special missions. This book is eminently readable and useful, even though it delivers only a fraction of what the title suggests. The lack of maps makes it difficult for the reader to follow the Jeds as they moved from place to place. The book is also available on CD from Tantor Media, Inc. Arthur L. Funk Emeritus, University of Florida Gainesville, Florida Copyright © 2006 Society for Military History

Stigma as a Barrier to Recovery

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LettersFull AccessStigma as a Barrier to RecoveryDeborah A. Perlick, Ph.D., and Robert A. Rosenheck, M.D.Deborah A. PerlickSearch for more papers by this author, Ph.D., and Robert A. RosenheckSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 May 2002https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.53.5.630AboutSectionsView EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail In Reply: Ms. Matorin draws on her clinical experience to poignantly describe the struggles encountered by patients and families who are coping with stigma in their daily lives. She points out that the efforts of mental health professionals have had only a limited impact on stigmatization, and she implies that the battle against stigma must be waged as much by consumers, families, opinion leaders, and the press as by professionals.We agree. Autobiographical books such as Andrew Solomon's The Noonday Demon (1) and William Styron's Darkness Visible (2) are courageous accounts that help promote the idea in the public mind that mental illnesses are like physical illnesses. Popular films such as Girl, Interrupted and Ordinary People help cut through stereotypes and reduce the fear and mistrust of people with mental illness that derive in part from ignorance.As Ms. Matorin suggests, the media played a strong role in helping promote broader recognition of symptoms of mental illness as a normal response to stress and trauma in the portrayal of peoples' responses to the events of September 11. Many of these accounts demonstrated the tremendous potential of the media to help combat stigma.However, there is still much that mental health professionals can do to help reduce the adverse impact of stigmatization of people with mental illness. First, like others before them, such as Kay Redfield Jamison (3) and Larry Davidson (4), they can be more disclosing about their own illnesses and those of family members. Personal accounts by mental health professionals help foster public acceptance of mental illness, and professionals who are open about their illnesses can serve as role models to patients and colleagues who are struggling with feelings of shame over their illness, leading them to hide it. Personal accounts by mental health professionals may also help minimize the tendency toward what Davidson terms the "us and them" thinking that permeates even the mental health field (4).Even though the media has enormous influence, any fundamental change in the dichotomous us-and-them thinking that underlies the stigmatization of people with mental illness must start with a shift in the interpersonal dynamic in relationships between persons who have a mental illness and the professionals who treat them.Second, mental health professionals can support and broaden their involvement with consumer and family advocacy organizations such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the National Depression and Manic-Depression Association. By openly promoting the interests and entitlements of people with mental illness, such organizations serve to counteract the sense of the disempowerment that frequently accompanies stigmatization.

Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk • My Mama's Waltz: A Book for Daughters of Alcoholic Mothers

Wasted: Tales of a GenX Drunk • My Mama's Waltz: A Book for Daughters of Alcoholic Mothers

Effects of Fictional, Autobiographical and Self-Help Literature on Personality Measures

This study evaluated three types of books under different reading conditions and using two measures of personality. Data from 163 women were analyzed in a 3 × 2 × 2 multivariate design, with control groups, which varied type of book (fiction, autobiography, self-help), reading condition (supervised and unsupervised), and order of testing (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Personal Orientation Inventory). None of the groups who received books to read had mean scores significantly different from those of the control groups. However, the group reading the self-help book had significantly higher scores on scales of self-actualization than the groups using fictional or autobiographical books.