Autotheory: the Resurrection of the Author, Or is this even a Critical Essay?
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Authors
Alyssa Evans
Issue Date
2025-12
Type
Language
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Abstract
Description
"What counts as critical writing and who makes the decisions? Are such distinctions necessary, or worse, harmful? While creative genres like CNF value autobiographical writing, the academic fields of philosophy and theory view it as inferior to objectivity. These disciplines center the ideas of Western, white men, and their perspectives are assumed as default, or objective. As a response to this, throughout history, marginalized writers – especially women, queer folks, and people of color – weaved personal stories into their theoretical discussions to challenge the power imbalances and dominant narratives in academia. This birthed a new genre: autotheory, which braids theory and autobiography together, enabling writers to share their experiences as a means of self-understanding and social justice."