Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir
The pressure for commercially published memoirs to offer a tragedy-to-triumph redemptive arc is exacerbated when the memoir is about disability. I explore how I attempted to contest this narrative arc, using a thematic rather than chronological approach and adopting the personal essay form. I also u...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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University of Canberra
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www.axonjournal.com.au/issue-2/against-redemption-dilemma-memoir http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/13349 |
| _version_ | 1848748323833380864 |
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| author | Robertson, Rachel |
| author_facet | Robertson, Rachel |
| author_sort | Robertson, Rachel |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The pressure for commercially published memoirs to offer a tragedy-to-triumph redemptive arc is exacerbated when the memoir is about disability. I explore how I attempted to contest this narrative arc, using a thematic rather than chronological approach and adopting the personal essay form. I also unpack the role of metaphor in representing a disability such as autism and the complexities of writing from a socio-cultural (rather than symbolic or medical) paradigm of disability. I examine one of the key dilemmas of writing a relational memoir and the creative judgements that the author must make. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:03:13Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-13349 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T07:03:13Z |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publisher | University of Canberra |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-133492017-01-30T11:36:35Z Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir Robertson, Rachel The pressure for commercially published memoirs to offer a tragedy-to-triumph redemptive arc is exacerbated when the memoir is about disability. I explore how I attempted to contest this narrative arc, using a thematic rather than chronological approach and adopting the personal essay form. I also unpack the role of metaphor in representing a disability such as autism and the complexities of writing from a socio-cultural (rather than symbolic or medical) paradigm of disability. I examine one of the key dilemmas of writing a relational memoir and the creative judgements that the author must make. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/13349 http://www.axonjournal.com.au/issue-2/against-redemption-dilemma-memoir University of Canberra fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Robertson, Rachel Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title | Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title_full | Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title_fullStr | Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title_full_unstemmed | Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title_short | Against redemption: The dilemma of memoir |
| title_sort | against redemption: the dilemma of memoir |
| url | http://www.axonjournal.com.au/issue-2/against-redemption-dilemma-memoir http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/13349 |