Offshoot: Contemporary Life Writing Methodologies and Practice

Offshoot includes essays in life writing methodologies and approaches, as well as a series of creative work – poetry and prose – that engages with current life writing. This collection highlights the development and influence of the genre in the twenty-first century. Starting from the premise that life writing is a significant component of both contemporary artistic practice and scholarship, Offshoot provides a necessary re-evaluation of the mode, its contemporary sub-generic incarnations, as well as methodological and practical approaches. The book presents research on a wide range of approaches, including both traditional areas such as literature and creative writing and areas that have not previously been associated with life writing scholarship. With its multifaceted readings, Offshoot signals a shift in life writing research tending towards an expansive, hybrid, experimental, and rhizomic approach.