An Author's Life Is Reflected in Their Works

Immediately after we are born, we start picking up sounds; the sound of our mother’s voice, the music playing in the elevator on the way to the car, and the happy cheers from a small child seeing their new sibling for the first time. We are always listening–picking up on conversations not meant for our ears, eavesdropping on the gossip of the adult world, and finding the meaning in the portentous silence. From all these auditory stimuli, we piece together the world around us to better understand what is happening to us, around us, and the secret happenings that were not for us to know. Great writers are the ones who listen and say nothing–who take it all in and save their classified information for a day when all the right words flow and form one epic story of the wondrous world we live in.

Our contemporary society was influenced by the idea of memories and justice, obstacles and struggles can influence why a person writes, and how “the good life” can be unique to different people. First of all, people read and write in our society today because it helps them with the memories and bring justice to some struggles in their lives. For example, by writing down their memories, many authors and writers are able to overcome their fears and struggles. They do this and it helps them to express how they are feeling and what they experienced.

My reflective thoughts on Donald Murray's "All writing is Autobiography", are easily aligned with this work as it continuously offered textual examples to the reader from fiction and non-fictional viewpoints, as to the fundamental notion that all writing is autobiography. Murray without a doubt creates an argument about the affect a person's experience shape the outcome of any work a writer may produce, in which I agree. For example, Donald Murray's poem "Black Ice" is written with an autobiographical voice, although most details did not take place-- he admits, but the poem continued to bring forth an organic rhythm of story telling without any hints of small truths while Murray injects the extra influencing details. Murray

Literary works have become one of the most preferred ways for people to express themselves and voice their concerns and opinions on societal issues. Through such pieces of work, authors are able to educate and critique the society at large, often forcing people to reconsider their views on certain matters. This has an overall effect of pushing them to reconsider the effect of their actions and errors as regards the issues in question. For others, writing about real life situations is most effective in communicating with their readers. Victims of racial discrimination may opt to put their ordeals down in black and white, mush the same way those who find themselves at the receiving end of sexual harassment may choose to write about their experiences. Arguably, the effect achieved is greater, in opposition to that of works of fiction. Even where a book is fictitious, more insight and connection to real life is achieved if the story is built around real life events and situations. Nancy Mairs does excellent in expressing herself through her spiritual autobiography; Waist-High in the World.

Biographical criticism is used to identify and establish certain aspects of stories from an author’s experience. Most authors have demonstrated this theory by writing from their own personal memories. From Emily Dickinson to Stephen King, countless authors have either written from their own background or put him/herself into a story. Some have even re-written a terrible memory into the way they wanted that moment to turn out. John Updike and T.C. Boyle brought this theory to life in their works “A&P” and “Greasy Lake”. By reading these stories, one can feel a personal connection to them because they feel so profoundly relatable. Therefore, in “A&P” and “Greasy Lake”, one can grasp the actuality of the stories by putting themselves in the author’s shoes and remembering their youth.

What provokes a person to write about his or her life? What motivates us to read it? Moreover, do men and women tell their life story in the same way? The answers may vary depending on the person who answers the questions. However, one may suggest a reader elects to read an autobiography because there is an interest. This interest allows the reader to draw from the narrator's experience and to gain understanding from the experience. When the reader involves him/herself in the experience, the reader encounters what is known and felt by the narrator. The encounter may provide the reader an opportunity to explore a

Writing may be an enthralling experience for one and a clever way to decompress for another. In general, however, writing has different purposes for a variety of people. “Why I Write,” written in the late 20th century by Terry Tempest Williams, describes various reasons for writing narrated from a female’s perspective. The short essay begins in the middle of the night with a woman engulfed in her own thoughts. She abruptly goes forth by reciting the multiple reasons why she continues to write in her life. Through a variety of rhetorical devices such as repetition, imagery, analogies, and symbolism, Terry Tempest Williams produces an elegant piece of writing that offers the audience insight into the narrator’s life and forces the audience to have empathy for the narrator with the situation she is incurring.

Marian Evans Lewes relates to aspiring writers by subtly elucidating her own anticipation in order to draw attention to the common misconceptions young people possess about writing. Lewes quickly states how “exultation is a dream before achievement and rarely comes after” (Lewes 8-9). By creating a short and concise sentence, Lewes quickly informs the reader of how in one’s youth, triumph and elation are expected results of one’s work. Yet the reality is that these are attributes that scarcely accompany one’s achievement. Lewes immediately juxtaposes her previously succinct point what that of a lengthy conclusion she has developed. She determines how after one has completed a piece of writing they feel as though their bodies became the system in which writing “develop[s] and grow[s] by some force of which one’s own life has only served as a vehicle and that what is left of oneself is only a poor husk” (11-13). Lewes contrast in

What I learned about my author Beverly Cleary, I never knew who inspired her to write. Most people would say family inspired their nieces,nephews,and any kind of family but someone else inspired her to write. It was her middle school librarian. Beverly got told by her librarian and her english teacher that one day she should be a writer. Now that's usually not normal for someone in Beverly's life to inspire her so much but she did. Beverly had two twins and then she lost her husband a few years later.

Authors lives are frequently narrated in their works. For example, a lot of Ray Bradbury’s life experiences can be seen in his novels. This is obvious in his most famous novel about the effects of the world with a lack of books. In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury’s experiences in a time when war took up the majority of conversation are reflected in his work which focuses on individual thought and expression.

"To write to be a writer, I have to trust and believe in myself as a speaker, as a voice for the images. I have to believe that can communicate with images and words that I can do it well. A lack of belief in my creative self is a lack of belief in my total self and vice versa- I cannot separate my writing from any part of my life. It is all one" (95).

In the article “All Writing Is Autobiography” the author, Donald M. Murray, discusses how writing in almost any form is autobiographical. Based on life experience, background, and childhood develops a perspective. Murray details his style of writing in the first person, as well as also writing using another character as he views himself; as he did in the poem “Black Ice”. This article was structured as Murray lives out his narrative/argument, which was laid out in his opening statement (paragraph one). He supported the argument with a multitude of poems, columns, and other writings specifically pointing out his autobiographical narrative.

Throughout childhood and adolescence, there are numerous events and situations that impact the rest of the person’s life. While these experiences can leave impressions on the individual's life ranging from future profession to possible criminal record, the way an author creates his work is almost always related to their childhood upbringing. Between topics, symbols, motifs, and themes, authors are more than likely to write from prior experience, which in most cases comes from youth life. Rick Riordan for example, author of numerous children’s literary series demonstrates various examples of how his early life affected numerous aspects of his literature.

Many authors take from their lives and incorporate it into their writings, whether on purpose or subconsciously. Through their introductory biographies, and their work, it’s apparent to see that Sun Sin Far, Jack London, and Joel Chandler Harris each have similarities within their lives and stories, and a few differences. They also all share an overarching theme of adaptation to new surroundings which is shown in each short story. Sui Sin Far is very similar to her character Sarah in “Mrs. Spring Frangrance”.

Authors have inspired and created some of the most remarkable ideas that can change just one life or many; however, these authors must have had inspiration themselves. An author’s life influences who they are and what they do, writing. Edgar Allan Poe was a unique author who wrote numerous dark, mysterious works, such as “The Tell Tale Heart,” that were inspired by his life full of sorrow and despair. Comparable to Poe, S.E. Hinton’s writing was affected by her life of being different from the world and even her friends, which led to her writing about a unique character who stands out in The Outsiders. Lastly, Elie Wiesel is alike to the previous authors. His life, burdened by ceaseless pain that he bore through, reflects in his writing in Night. Anybody’s life can change from just one significant moment that they have lived, no matter who they are or what they do. Edgar Allan Poe, S.E. Hinton, and Elie Wiesel had been just average people who have challenged events in their lives which who used those events to write.