— , a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The linear structure is the standard for most biographies; it starts at a specific point in the protagonist's life and moves forward in chronological order. Nonlinear structure is more complex as this style moves between time periods with time skips and flashbacks. Thematic structure strategically conveys given and new information to frame and insert specific themes.
For your biography essay, your subject will be the person whose life story you will be writing. In order for your biography essay to be effective, you will have to pick a subject who is interesting, important, or otherwise qualified to be the subject of a biography essay. You should ask yourself the question: why choose your subject, and what has your subject done that deserves to be recorded and remembered?
Of course, there's a sense in which every single human life is interesting and important. But for the purposes of your biography essay, you will want to dig deeper and consider why your subject is worthy of being remembered in the collective cultural memory.
An effective biography usually focuses on someone who has affected history, or someone who has achieved a high level of excellence within his/her discipline or field.
Søren Kierkegaard: A very important philosopher
Kierkegaard would be an example a good subject for a biography essay, because his works are generally considered a turning point in modern philosophy.
The subject of your biography essay does not necessarily need to be well-known. In fact, it can be a lot of fun to dig into the life of someone is not well known but should be. The important thing is that your subject must be compelling, and there must be a solid reason why his/her story should be told.
Also, when picking a subject, you may want to make sure that you actually like your subject. That can make writing a biography essay more fun, and your respect for the subject (or lack thereof) will also probably come across in your writing. If you want to convince others that your subject is compelling, then it would help if you find him/her compelling.
A lot can happen in a life, and it would probably be impossible for you to include everything there is to know about your subject within a single biography essay. So, you should choose the high point, or the most important points, and then focus on those.
Events in the life of Kierkegaard
These are key events that could be the focus of a biography essay on Kierkegaard.
Event | Rationale | |
Kierkegaard is born on the 5th of May, 1813. | Logical starting point for the biography essay. | |
Kierkegaard breaks his engagement with a girl named Regine Olsen on the 11th of August, 1841. | This is considered to be a turning point in his life and a major catalyst behind several of his works. | |
affair | Kierkegaard gets into a bitter public dispute with a tabloid called the . | This renewed his creativity in the later part of his life. |
Kierkegaard dies on the 11th of November, 1855. | Logical ending point for the biography essay. |
Garff, Joakim. Søren Kierkegaard: A Biography. Princeton: Princeton U P, 2007.
Now that you know about the elements of a biography essay, you can follow these steps in order to ensure that your biography essay turns out to be a success.
Next, integrate the specific biography related aspects listed below.
Again, your biography essay won't be able to include everything there is to know about your subject. So, you will want to map out the scope of your biography essay before you get started. The birth and death of your subject are the logical starting and ending points for your essay. Then, you will want to select a few events or accomplishments in the life of your subject that are worthy of remembrance.
You can develop a full-fledged outline, or you can use a table like the one developed above. Either way, though, you will have to have a clear idea of where you will begin, where you will end, and the path that you will take from the beginning to the end.
Your biography essay has to be rooted in verifiable facts about the life of your subject. This means that it is important that you identify and document the sources of your information. The essay sources should generally be scholarly in nature, and you should avoid using websites to the greatest extent possible. This is because it is often difficult to tell whether the content on websites have been drawn from credible sources.
Questions to ask when compiling sources
If there are references listed on a website about your subject, then you should trace those references back to the original academic sources. Those are the sources you should use for your biography essay.
Remember: with your biography essay, you are at least partly trying to show your reader why your subject is interesting and why he/she deserves to have an essay written about him/her.
Your interest in your subject should come across in your writing style. After all, if you feel bored with your subject, then why should anyone else pay attention?
The language you use should be scholarly (but still filled with imagery ), but you should also focus on varying sentence structure, using excellent word choice, and other writing techniques that tell the life story of your subject in a compelling way that does justice to the importance of your subject.
See the example biographical essay below for a clear example of how it needs to be written.
As the sample shows, it’s very important to be focused on true details. Please see the list of blog posts below for more examples of biography essays:
If you need more help or would like something written for your own needs, consider buying custom essays from Ultius . Our talented writes can help you get something done in as fast as three hours.
That brings us to the close of this guide on the biography essay. Here is a recapitulation of some of the best practices that have been covered here.
Develop a focused arc
You should use a linear narrative structure, starting with the birth of your subject, ending with their death, and focusing on selected key events and accomplishments in the subject's life.
Write in the scholarly mode
Although a biography essay is a kind of "story," it should still be written in a rational, scholarly way, and referencing in MLA or Chicago style is usually required for this kind of essay.
Love your subject
If you get to choose your subject, then you should pick a subject that you personally admire. This will make the writing process more fun, and your interest will also show in your writing and make the biography essay more enjoyable for the reader.
Find help if you need it
Finally, Ultius has plenty of resources that can help you write a successful biography essay and hone your skills as a writer. Please feel free to lean on us.
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03 July, 2020
7 minutes read
Author: Elizabeth Brown
Got a chance to write about your idol but need help with realization? Read our article to know the secrets of effective biography essay writing. Whoever you decide to write a biography essay about, don’t try to include random information at once. The person you describe would not like it. Instead, read our article about how to write a biography essay correctly and, more importantly, take pleasure in composing it. We’ll share some smart tips and tricks that you’ll find particularly useful for your writing.
Some tend to mistakenly attribute biographical essay to the process of writing about themselves. But actually, biography definition has nothing to do with you. It’s more about telling the engaging story about a person’s life. This individual can be anyone: a famous historical figure, a well-known actor, politician, dancer, musician, artist, writer, inventor – you get the point. Such task sounds intriguing and interesting, and indeed it is. A biographical essay is a great chance to dilute simple academic tasks with a pinch of new article full of interesting facts and opinions.
Before writing a biography essay, it’s important to pay attention to essay structure and build up a biography outline. An outline is generally a schematic plan that helps to organize biography essays in accordance with the writer’s preference. In this, the primary task is to create a list of the most significant facts you’ll want to develop in the essay. The easiest way of arranging an outline is to add a numbered list indicating the main points, and a list of sub-points marked with bullets. Also, don’t forget to include a biography thesis statement that’ll sum up the main idea of your essay in one sentence.
Before writing, you first need to understand what to include in a biography essay. An eloquent biography essay always starts with the introduction of a chosen person. The initial step of writing it involves the inclusion of such information as the person’s name, date of their birth, and the place they were born in. Of course, it’s not a uniform set of data necessary for this part. You can take the situation in your hands and write about some cultural or historical background surrounding one’s birthplace or the day they were born. Adding such information to the introductory part will help to create some context by connecting you and readers closer to the described character and broadening the common knowledge with more absorbing facts.
When people ask how to write a biography paper, the only thing they think of is a random flow of ideas about someone’s life. In fact, writing a biography paper is more complicated. The section following the introduction is devoted to life description. Here, you’ll need to feature early life and childhood of a chosen person. This part should cover general information about their parents, and divert readers’ attention to some facts related to their origin, education, and relationship status. Next, focus more on education and place where the person grew up. In this section, include more detailed information about the critical moments of their childhood life, like the name of the school they studied in or the point of moving to another city or town. Perhaps there are more facts worthy of note, such as family problems or health issues that revolved around one’s childhood. If there are such, include them as well.
The second section of your biographical essay will tell readers about someone’s adulthood. Depending on the person, this piece of story can be outlined differently. For example, you can write about their university or college life, or indicate their first job. The point here is to chronologically depict a period of moving from childhood to adult life. Then, talk about the formation of a person’s career path, starting with the first working experience and ending with the remarkable moment of revealing talents and skills that shaped their life. In the next paragraph, mention the person’s relationship during their adulthood. If applicable, describe how someone special helped them to become successful or motivated them throughout their career. Another significant aspect in this section has to do with the person’s success, in which readers could know about their notable accomplishments and achievements.
The final section of a biography essay will touch the person’s current or later life. If they are alive, include the overlook of their place of living and write about their activities. You can also add such information as to their current projects or career plans, along with other meaningful facts about their life.
If the person you’re writing about is no longer living, emphasize on the brightest moments at the sunset of their life. Mention the definitive moments and aspects, and write about the cause of their deaths.
If you want your biography essay to leave a great impact on readers, don’t conclude it with a simple explanation of why this or that person died and what their latest works were. This is only factual information which brings no specific value to your essay and, more importantly, doesn’t breathe life into it. To wrap up your essay content with a memorable grabber, include a couple of sentences in which write about the person’s legacy. That is, add the opinion of why this individual’s activity became an exceptional contribution to the world’s history, and why they have changed some aspects of their field.
Biography essay writing is a responsible task that aims at showing a well-acclaimed person from the best light. Therefore, you need to write about one’s life as you would about your mother – with maximum details and showing respect for that person. So follow our advice to compose an A+ biography essay that you and your audience will enjoy reading.
Note that our company provides academic writing help. You can buy a Biography essay written from scratch by our essay writer .
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One of my papers has recently been accepted! We received an e-mail informing us that we have a short time frame in which we need to do a bunch of work to get the paper ready for publication. In particular, one of the components which we need to submit is a brief author biography for each co-author.
I have had a few papers published before, but none of these papers has required me to provide a brief author biography. What information should I include in this biography? Can someone provide a sample of his/her biography for me to use as a reference or template?
Can't you look at author biographies from other papers in that journal ?
My experience in this field is the next.
Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged publications ..
Last Updated: July 4, 2023 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 54,236 times.
Writing a biography can seem daunting, as you are trying to explore the entirety of someone's life on the page. The key to writing a good biography is outlining it before you dive in. A strong, detailed outline will work through key events chronologically. To outline a biography, start by discussing early life and childhood. Then, go into adulthood and current life, or later life and death if the person is no longer alive.
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May 16, 2023
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Help! What is a biography essay? I don’t know how to write a biography paper! Don’t worry about it; we are here to help. We know that the biography essay can be a bit tricky to write. Most students panic when they realize they don’t have enough time to complete the essay or when they hit a writer’s block. The good news is that we have included all the necessary information about the bibliography in this blog post – as well as a great guide to help you write it.
You’ll learn what this paper is and how it is structured. We’ll also show you how to write biographical essay papers correctly. Finally, the complete sample written by our experts and the list of tips, tricks and advice will help you do an even better job. You’ll probably get some bonus points too. Ready? Let’s get started!
First, what is a biographical essay, what is included in a biography, learn how to start a biography essay quickly, the complete guide to writing a biography paper, a sample biography for your consideration, biography tips, tricks and advice.
Let’s start with the beginning. What is a biographical essay?
A biographical essay is a type of academic paper that tells the story of a person’s life, usually focusing on their achievements, experiences, and impact on the world. The purpose of a biographical essay is to provide an in-depth and accurate portrayal of the subject’s life while highlighting key events and significant moments that shaped their character and legacy.
A biographical essay typically follows a chronological structure, beginning with the person’s early life and progressing through their major accomplishments, challenges and significant events. You may also include some information about the subject’s family, education, career, relationships, and personal values.
To write a great biographical essay, you need to conduct extensive research and gather accurate information about the person’s life. You should be prepared to review historical documents, conduct interviews with people who knew the person and consult several other reliable sources. You must then synthesize the information and create a compelling and engaging narrative that covers the subject’s life and accomplishments in great depth.
The first step is deciding what to put in biography. There is no set list of chapters that need to be included. A biography is not a research paper, thesis or dissertation. However, there are some common elements of a biography that you should consider adding to your paper (some, like the introduction and conclusion, are mandatory):
Don’t know how to start a biography essay? The introduction of a biography essay is a very important part of the essay as it sets the tone and captures the reader’s attention. Here are some tips that should help you start the biography paper correctly:
The first one or two sentences should be attention-grabbing and captivating. Write a surprising fact, a quote from your subject or an interesting anecdote. After you’ve hooked the reader, provide some background information on your subject. This can include their name, their occupation or profession, and their significance in their field or in history. Now it’s time to briefly outline your subject’s life. You don’t need to go into great detail at this point; just give the reader an overview of who your subject is and what they are known for. Finally, end your introduction with a thesis statement that outlines the main argument of your essay. This will give the reader an idea of what to expect from the rest of the paper.
Make your introduction concise and organize it in a logical manner, using short paragraphs if necessary. It’s the very first thing your readers see, aside from the title of the paper.
Now that you know the features of a biography and how to start the essay, it’s time to get down to business. We’ll show you how to write biography essay papers quickly by following a simple step-by-step guide. After you read our guide, you’ll realize that biography writing is not as difficult as it sounds:
We know you’re probably looking for a biography example that you can use as a template for your next paper. This is why our helpful experts have written a sample biography for you, which you can get in touch with us right now to receive! If you are interested in our services, we are always happy to provide great biography examples that are professional writers can type up and research vigorously.
It’s time for some tips, tricks and advice on how to get the biography written perfectly. Remember that you also need to follow every guideline set forth by your teacher. Here are some that should be a great biography essay assignment help :
Always choose a subject that that you feel passionate about to make the research and writing process more enjoyable. Examine the ways in which significant events served as pivotal moments in both the life and works of the individual. Use a clear and concise writing style that is easy to read and understand. Avoid using overly complex language or technical jargon that might confuse the reader. The simpler the better. Include both personal and professional information about the subject. This will help the reader understand the person on a deeper level and appreciate their accomplishments more. While it’s important to present the subject in a positive light, it’s also important to be objective and avoid bias. Present the facts in an impartial way and let the reader draw his own conclusions. Don’t forget to edit and proofread your essay carefully to ensure that it is free of errors and that it flows smoothly. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your essay to provide feedback and catch any mistakes you might have missed.
Do you need a bit of help with your biography assignment? Maybe you need somebody with more experience than you to make some tweaks to the structure of your paper. Or perhaps you need a great outline to get you started. Our writers, editors and proofreaders can get it done, and offer top notch college homework help . Here, you can get biography help in a matter of minutes, even in the middle of the night. Our customer support department is online 24/7 to help you find an expert to help with your assignment.
Our creative ENL writers can finish a unique biography essay in as little as 3 hours. We are a top tier provider of academic writing services that has been helping students get an A+ on their every assignment for more than 10 years. Our experts can help high school, college and university students with any class, any course and any paper.
Need a bio example you can use in your own project? Need some more tips on how to do a great job on your biography paper? Or perhaps you don’t really know how to conclude a biography. Just reach out to us and get a custom written essay or research paper tonight!
What are the 5 elements of a biography?
As with any piece of writing about a person, a biography should be accurate about the person you are writing about. Five elements of a biography could be: the name of the person, his or her achievements, relationship with family, views and life outlook, and important life events.
What does a good biography include?
A good biography will go in depth about a person’s life. It will include the early life of the subject, their pathway in life and what they have achieved. A good biography will also be interesting to read, and will place the story of the subject in today’s context, giving it the importance needed.
What is an example of a popular biography?
Some examples of popular biographies include: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight.
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As a high school or college student, you have probably written dozens, if not hundreds, of essays of all types. However, a biographical essay is nothing like you have written before. In fact, despite seeming relatively easy, the task of writing a biography essay can get very confusing to inexperienced students.
Instead of your ideas, a biography essay utilizes facts, but it takes a lot of research and writing skills to write a biography essay that will impress both your peers and your professor. Our essay writing service has prepared a detailed guide on how to write a good biography essay, and here is everything you need to know.
Before you can find out how to write a biography essay, you need to learn the answer to the essential question: what is a biography essay? A biographical essay is a type of academic paper where the author tells the story of someone’s life.
In some ways, biographical essays are similar to other types of essays, especially narrative papers. They both tell a story that should captivate and inform the readers. However, a biographical essay focuses solely on the story of one person and often includes an analysis of the person’s personality, not just a list of significant events from the subject’s life story.
Typically, the biography essay format deals with the life story of another person. In some cases, you may be tasked with writing a biography about yourself. In that case, your paper will be called an autobiography essay, and it’s a common assignment in high school and during the college application process.
At first glance, a biography essay may seem like just another type of written assignments that you simply have to do for a good grade. However, a bibliography essay is actually a very important piece of writing that allows you to tell a story of another person’s greatness, significance, or vulnerability through his life events.
Biography essay outline.
Even though a biographical essay is a unique form of writing, it still requires you to follow a specific format and structure. The biography essay outline helps you keep your thoughts in order and never miss a single significant fact or quote.
So, how to write a biography essay outline? Unless otherwise specified by your professor, you should follow the standard five-paragraph essay structure. It means that your biography essay outline will include the following chapters:
Now that you know what is biography essay and how to create a good biography essay outline, it is time to finally find out how to write a biography essay. In this part of our guide, we will focus on a personal biography essay, or autobiography.
Students are often wondering: how to start off a biography essay to make a good impression on the readers? The introduction is the first part of your paper the readers will encounter, and you should pay extra attention to what you write in this chapter.
How to write an introduction for a biography essay? Start with a hook — an attention-grabbing sentence that sets the tone for the paper. It can be a personal anecdote, a fact, or a quote from someone else describing you.
In the rest of the introduction, write a little about yourself without giving up any important facts — save those for the upcoming chapters of the essay. Finish the introduction with a thesis statement, where you should describe the essence of your biography essay.
If you went for the classic five-paragraph structure with your biography, you will have three body paragraphs. There is no standard way to distribute your biography between those three paragraphs, but since you are writing about yourself — a young person whose later years are still ahead of them — you can use the following structure:
Since it’s a personal essay, you probably won’t use too much research to support your claims, which will be based on your own life. However, you should carefully choose the wording, not to exaggerate your achievements. Be as close to your own life events as possible.
A conclusion is an essential part of any essay, and it’s equally true for a biography essay. Since you are retelling your own life story, and it’s difficult to assess your contribution to the society simply because you are only at the beginning of your own career, you should write about the way your life until this point impacted your development as a person.
Our essay service has already covered how to write a personal biography essay, but in most cases, you will be tasked with writing a biography essay about a different person — usually, someone famous and significant in their own field. This person can be dead or alive, but they will likely have a rich biography that is relatively easy to write about.
The key to writing a strong biography essay is to rely strictly on facts, not on fiction. It doesn’t mean that you should simply list the facts from the person’s life story without any opinions of your own, but those opinions and assumptions must always be based on the official statements from the person’s biography.
Wondering how to write a biography essay to make it absolutely flawless? Check out these extra writing tips from our expert team of authors that specialize in essay writing in the United States:
The writing process of a biography begins after you have researched your subject and compiled the information you will share with readers. An engaging first paragraph not only introduces readers to your subject but also provides a glimpse into the biography as a whole. Be concise, accurate and interesting in your introduction in order to capture your reader's attention.
Introduce your subject, including her name and any pseudonyms.
Add the subject's dates of birth and death (if applicable).
Include context, which tells the location where your subject was born, her nationality and ethnicity.
Explain briefly why your subject is important or notable. Give a one- or two-sentence summary of what she accomplished.
Tie in the subject's accomplishments to your reader's experience. Let the reader know why your subject is or was significant to others.
Lalaena Gonzalez-Figueroa has worked as a freelance writer since 1997. She has contributed to a number of print and online publications including BabyZone.com, "The Tallahassee Democrat," "Broker Agent Magazine" and "MD News" magazine." She also writes creative fiction for adults and children. Gonzalez-Figueroa graduated in 1998 from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing.
These autobiographies deliver poignant self-reflection, humor, and resilience.
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Memoirs always combine storytelling and inspiration . These intensely personal narratives offer unique insights and lessons learned from the author's past. When you read one of the best memoirs on our list, you're invited into someone's life, experiencing their story through their own words, complete with all the emotions, reflections, and raw honesty that accompanies personal recollection. The journeys that shaped who they are today can also sometimes provide readers with a fresh perspective, allowing them to see the world from a different vantage point.
Whether it's an account of someone else's childhood adventures, professional triumphs, or personal struggles, these stories are meant to transport you — the reader — to new places and broaden your understanding of the human experience. The memoirs in this roundup resonate deeply and will leave you with a lasting impression you won't be able to unsee in the best possible way. We know you'll appreciate these selections. Memoirs or not, they represent some of the best books ever published .
From juicy tales from celebrities to acclaimed writers to renowned chefs and even lesser-known yet compelling voices, each book offers a unique lens on life. Check out the best memoirs below!
More Books: The Best Books from Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club • 19 Books About the Royal Family • The Juiciest Celebrity Memoirs
In Michelle Obama 's memoir, "Becoming," the former First Lady of the United States chronicles her journey from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to her time in the White House . Obama shares personal stories about her childhood, education, career, motherhood, and experience as a First Lady.
This powerful and inspiring read gives insights into her challenges and triumphs, including moments in history you might even remember. Her advocacy for education, health, and women's rights are major themes in her book and life. It is a must-read for those interested in personal growth, resilience, and the life of one of the most influential women in recent history.
Read more about Michelle Obama
Drew Barrymore's memoir "Wildflower" comprises of personal essays where the actress reflects on her unconventional upbringing , career in Hollywood, and her journey to becoming a successful actress and mother. Through candid and heartfelt stories, she shares the lessons learned from her tumultuous childhood , early fame, and struggles with addiction.
"Wildflower" is an inspiring read for its honesty and resilience, offering an intimate glimpse into her life and evolution into the grounded and joyous adult we see today on her own talk show.
Read more about Drew Barrymore
"Untamed" by Glennon Doyle is a memoir that chronicles the author's journey to find her true self. Doyle, a renowned speaker and activist, shares her experiences with personal struggles, including divorce and coming out. During the process, she learns to trust her inner voice. It's one of the best memoirs you can read because it challenges societal norms, encouraging readers to break free from expectations and live authentically just as Doyle did. With its powerful message of self-discovery and empowerment, "Untamed" is a compelling read for anyone looking to embrace their true identity and find liberation in their own lives.
"Sociopath: A Memoir" by self-identified Patric Gagne takes a deep dive into the author's life as he navigates the complexities of living with antisocial personality disorder. Gagne, now a writer and mental health advocate, offers an unflinching look at her experiences. Throughout its chapters, she sheds light on the challenges and misunderstandings surrounding sociopathy.
With personal anecdotes and introspective insights, she aims to humanize the condition and foster empathy for others in the same position. For those interested in mental health, it's a crucial read and one of the best memoirs you can opt for, as it provides a rare, authentic perspective on a frequently stigmatized disorder of sociopathy.
"The Madwoman and the Roomba: My Year of Domestic Mayhem" is a humorous memoir by award-winning columnist Sandra Tsing Loh. The book captures Loh's chaotic and relatable experiences managing household life, technology mishaps, and the everyday challenges of modern domesticity.
Through her witty anecdotes and sharp observations, she explores themes of middle age, parenting, and the absurdities of suburban life. You should read it for its laugh-out-loud humor and keen insights into the trials and tribulations of family and home management. It may even give you a comforting and comedic take on the universal struggles of domestic life if that's where you're at in life.
"Boy and Going Solo” consist of two autobiographical works by renowned author Roald Dahl published in 1984 and 1986. "Boy" recounts Dahl's early childhood and school years in England, filled with vivid, often humorous tales of pranks and strict teachers. "Going Solo" continues his story into young adulthood, focusing on his adventures as a pilot in World War II.
These memoirs are rich with the storytelling flair that characterizes Dahl's fiction, offering insight into the experiences that shaped his creative imagination. You should read them for their engaging narrative, historical context, and to understand the formative years of one of the 20th century’s most beloved children's authors.
Read more about Roald Dahl
"Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" is an evocative recount of Frank McCourt's impoverished childhood in Limerick, Ireland. The author narrates his early years with humor and resilience despite facing extreme poverty, his father's alcoholism, and the loss of siblings. This memoir vividly depicts the harsh realities of life in mid-20th-century Ireland.
You should read it for its poignant storytelling and its ability to find hope and humanity amidst adversity. McCourt's narrative is both heartbreaking and inspiring, making it a compelling read that highlights the strength of the human spirit.
An American classic, Maya Angelou ’s debut memoir recounts the acclaimed author ’s childhood and adolescence from Arkansas to Missouri to California. She touches on themes of identity and self-acceptance and recounts the abhorrent racism she and her family experienced, as well as the sexual violence she suffered at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend. But there’s great joy here, too, especially when young Angelou learns to come out of her shell through her love of literature.
Read more about Maya Angelou
You’ve probably seen this book on several similar lists, but that’s because it’s endlessly interesting. Bourdain dishes on such a niche culture—that of high-octane kitchens in some of the world’s best restaurants—and doesn’t shy away from some of its ugliest qualities. He gets personal, too, with anecdotes both amusing and somber.
Read More about Anthony Bourdain
Sri Lankan writer and economist Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the 2004 tsunami that devastated parts of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and India. In this relentless memoir, she explores the seemingly bottomless depths of grief and how our power to remember the past can be healing. Readers who love a resolution might look elsewhere, but they’d be missing out on some unflinching, courageous writing.
From acclaimed writer Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking recounts the sudden death of her husband and the hospitalization of their daughter within days of each other. (Her daughter eventually died at 39, which Didion writes about in Blue Nights .) It’s an engrossing and vulnerable look into a year of experiencing and coping with tragedy—filled, of course, with the writer’s famously incisive prose.
In her final book, actress and writer Carrie Fisher gives fans a peek behind the curtain of her time on set of the first Star Wars movie . She hilariously commentates on excerpts from her diary during that time, recalls her crush on Harrison Ford , and delves into how complicated it can be to navigate the world of celebrity—especially as the face of such an iconic character.
Read More about Carrie Fisher
Widely recommended as one of the best books of 2017, Hunger is Roxane Gay’s raw and powerful memoir about her own self-image and our society’s obsession with appearance. There’s a reason Gay is such a prolific writer today, whether you follow her musings on Twitter or her New York Times column; she is incredibly inquisitive and can make any reader question the status quo. Hunger is no exception.
We all have songs that can conjure specific memories. Writer, comedian, and TV personality Dave Holmes takes that notion to heart in his memoir, where he writes about growing up Catholic and closeted in Missouri and how he “accidentally” became an MTV VJ. There’s a plethora of references to ʼ80s and ʼ90s music and self-deprecating humor that strikes the perfect balance.
There’s no shortage of powerful writing in this book by writer and poet Cathy Park Hong. Throughout the work—about America’s racialized consciousness—she expertly weaves many personal details of her life as the daughter of Korean immigrants with topics like intersectionality and artistic expression. There’s plenty of enlightening history, too, including on activist Yuri Kochiyama . Her writing demonstrates her self-awareness; she even challenges many of her own thoughts. It’s a fascinating, essential read.
Saeed Jones, an award-winning poet, writes with such a distinct style in this searing memoir about coming of age as a young, black, gay man from the South. He writes about grief, about identity in a world that makes it hard to find one, and about acceptance. It’s a short read in length (at 192 pages) but leaves a memorable impression.
Writer Jon Krakauer’s infamous retelling of the 1996 Mount Everest expedition that left eight climbers in his party dead is a harrowing read. For those with zero mountaineering experience (like this writer), he makes it easy to visualize what conquering this mountain looks like. There’s also some fascinating insights on the commercialization of Everest. If you’re reading a recently printed version, there’s an interesting postscript that responds to the fairness of his account of events (which was questioned in fellow survivor Anatoli Boukreev’s book The Climb ).
With the deeply moving Heavy , Kiese Laymon shares the trials of his upbringing in Jackson, Mississippi. It’s written in the second person, addressing his mother, and it touches on his relationship to his body and how racism permeated his views of himself and the world around him. This modern memoir should be on every reading list.
If you want to read a book that turns the concept of a memoir on its head, pick up Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House . While playing with traditional form, Machado delves into the abuse she suffered in a same-sex relationship. She references horror tropes and fairy tales and gives readers a completely vulnerable (and often terrifying) look into a dark and traumatizing experience. We’ve heard the audio version is just as engrossing.
In what was arguably the most talked-about memoir of the past year, actor and writer/director Jennette McCurdy details what went on behind the scenes in her life before, during, and after making the hit Nickelodeon show iCarly . She bears it all—discussing her eating disorder and the toxic relationship she had with her mother—while using pitch perfect humor, in a memoir that’s hard to stomach at times. But it’s worth it to see how she ultimately takes back control of her life.
Ysolt Usigan is a lifestyle writer and editor who has created share-worthy content for publishers like Shape , What To Expect , Cafe Mom , TODAY , CBS News , HuffPo , The Bump , Health , Ask Men , and BestGifts . A working mom of two, her editorial expertise in shopping, parenting, and home are rooted in her everyday life. Her passion is hunting for the best products and sharing them with the masses, so others don't have to waste time and money.
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Introduction.
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Editors: Barbara Bavis, Bibliographic and Research Instruction Librarian, Law Library of Congress
Elizabeth Fulford, Senior Network Specialist, Network Development and MARC Standards Office
Note: This guide is a collection of the Library of Congress Research Guides produced as a part of the American Women Series, originally published as American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States (Library of Congress, 2001).
Created: December 16, 2021
Last Updated: December 16, 2021
This research guide gathers together and updates most of the topical and format-based sections of the online presentation of 456-page print resource guide entitled, American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States , which was published in December 2001 by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the University Press of New England.
Each component of this series is published as an individual research guide and can be accessed from the following links:
Preface by carla d. hayden.
The Library of Congress has a long tradition of collecting women’s history materials in a variety of formats and subject areas. As noted in the preface to the first American Women guide, published in 2001, “For two hundred years, the Library of Congress…has been gathering materials necessary to tell the stories of women in America.” 1 The Library identified women’s suffrage as a targeted subject for acquisitions with surprising foresight, and it continues to build and strengthen its holdings to document the diversity of American women’s lives.
In 1903 the sixth Librarian of Congress, Ainsworth Spofford, convinced his friend, suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony, to donate her personal collection of more than 250 books and other printed material to the Library. As Anthony prepared her donation, she inscribed many of the books with commentary on their history and importance, creating a valuable record of her reflections on a lifetime of activism.
The Library’s curators soon began amassing manuscripts, scrapbooks, photographs, and other items relating to the struggle for women’s rights, including the papers of Carrie Chapman Catt, Mary Church Terrell, and other suffragists, as well as the records of the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Woman’s Party. Together these items form a compelling documentary history of the suffrage campaign from its early connections to the abolition and temperance movements to the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment—known as the Anthony Amendment—in August 1920. In fighting for the right to vote, women formed national political organizations and developed new strategies for protest. Women had always represented a vital, but often unacknowledged, part of the nation’s history, and the suffrage movement brought them into the public sphere in new and more visible ways.
Scholarship in women’s history, gender history, women’s studies, and related fields is essential to how we understand American history. This recently revised and updated American Women guide highlights new collection materials and research tools and makes these resources more easily discoverable by researchers. We hope that this guide continues to inspire researchers of all levels in making new discoveries and charting new perspectives on American women.
Carla D. Hayden , Librarian of Congress
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See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development. Biographies are how we learn information about another human being's life. Whether you want to start writing a biography about a famous person, historical figure, or an influential family member, it's important to know all the elements that make a biography worth ...
Let's break down the process step by step. 1. Choose Your Subject. Decide who you want to write about. It could be a well-known celebrity, a historical figure, or someone close to you. In addition to figuring out who you're writing about, this is also the step where you figure out why you want to write about them.
Conduct relevant interviews. Whenever possible, seek firsthand accounts from those who knew or interacted with the subject. Conduct interviews with family members, friends, colleagues, or experts in the field. Their insights and anecdotes can provide a deeper understanding of the person's character and experiences.
1. Go for a chronological structure. Start chronologically from the subject's birth to their death or later life. Use the timeline of the person's life to structure the biography. Start with birth and childhood. Then, go into young adulthood and adulthood.
If you're looking to write a biography yourself, in this post we'll share a step-by-step blueprint that you can follow. How to write a biography: 1. Seek permission when possible. 2. Research your subject thoroughly. 3. Do interviews and visit locations. 4.
What You Should Do. Start with your full name followed by your current position, your general interests, and your current project, keeping them all very brief. If you are within a year of receiving a prestigious award, mention that as well. Finally, finish with a sentence that's personal: add a hobby, a pet's name, the city you live in ...
A biography is an account of someone's life written by someone else.While there is a genre known as a fictional biography, for the most part, biographies are, by definition, nonfiction. Generally speaking, biographies provide an account of the subject's life from the earliest days of childhood to the present day or, if the subject is deceased, their death.
Ibrahim Akturk. March 29, 2022. A biography essay is a type of academic writing that tells the story of someone's life, typically focusing on their achievements, struggles, and impact on the world. In this article, we'll provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to write a compelling biography essay that engages readers and tells the ...
First, determine the scope of the person's life (years), pick a central theme, and write out the biography using the classic narrative arc. Many college courses include an essay writing component, and a biography essay is one of the types of essays that you may encounter, especially if you are taking courses in liberal arts disciplines such ...
Learn how to write a biography in 5 proven steps. From research to publishing, our experts will help you create a compelling story your readers will love!
A biography (BYE-og-ruh-fee) is a written account of one person's life authored by another person. A biography includes all pertinent details from the subject's life, typically arranged in a chronological order. The word biography stems from the Latin biographia, which succinctly explains the word's definition: bios = "life" + graphia = "write."
When people ask how to write a biography paper, the only thing they think of is a random flow of ideas about someone's life. In fact, writing a biography paper is more complicated. The section following the introduction is devoted to life description. Here, you'll need to feature early life and childhood of a chosen person.
One of my papers has recently been accepted! We received an e-mail informing us that we have a short time frame in which we need to do a bunch of work to get the paper ready for publication. In particular, one of the components which we need to submit is a brief author biography for each co-author.
Download Article. 1. Mention the person's name, birth date, and place of birth. Start by including key biographical details like the person's full name and their birth date. You can also provide the person's place of birth, especially if it will give readers context for the rest of the biography.
The process of writing a biography can be easier with a map to follow. You can follow these steps to write a biography: 1. Research your subject. The first step to writing a great biography is to spend time conducting extensive research on the person you're writing about, their career, their family and other information about them.
Here are some tips that should help you start the biography paper correctly: The first one or two sentences should be attention-grabbing and captivating. Write a surprising fact, a quote from your subject or an interesting anecdote. After you've hooked the reader, provide some background information on your subject.
It means that your biography essay outline will include the following chapters: Introduction. Body paragraph #1. Body paragraph #2. Body paragraph #3. Conclusion. Now that you know what is biography essay and how to create a good biography essay outline, it is time to finally find out how to write a biography essay.
Add the subject's dates of birth and death (if applicable). Include context, which tells the location where your subject was born, her nationality and ethnicity. Explain briefly why your subject is important or notable. Give a one- or two-sentence summary of what she accomplished. Tie in the subject's accomplishments to your reader's experience.
Biography is an important forum for well-considered biographical scholarship. It features stimulating articles that explore the theoretical, generic, historical, and cultural dimensions of life-writing; and the integration of literature, history, the arts, and the social sciences as they relate to biography.
Read exclusive biographies, watch videos, and discover fascinating stories about your favorite icons, musicians, authors, and historical figures.
In Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," the former First Lady of the United States chronicles her journey from growing up on the South Side of Chicago to her time in the White House. Obama shares ...
I read King on a plane, cover to cover, and when I got off that plane I couldn't stop talking about it—and I haven't, six months later. Turns out, my colleagues couldn't stop talking about it either, which is why we named it our #5 Best Book of the Year and the #1 pick for the Best Biography and Memoir of the Year.
The Library of Congress has a long tradition of collecting women's history materials in a variety of formats and subject areas. As noted in the preface to the first American Women guide, published in 2001, "For two hundred years, the Library of Congress…has been gathering materials necessary to tell the stories of women in America." 1 The Library identified women's suffrage as a ...