Meghna Gangadharan (Independent Scholar)
phd1@****.com (Log-in to reveal)
This roundtable explores contemporary directions in life writing, biography, and memoir, with a particular interest in how we narrate the self amidst evolving issues of identity, culture, and power. We welcome both traditional scholarly essays and creative nonfiction/memoir submissions accompanied by a brief meta-analysis. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, autoethnography, digital self-representation, intersectional approaches to life writing, and the emerging impacts of technological shifts—such as generative AI—on authorship and equity.
How do we articulate, preserve, and present our lived experiences in an era marked by rapid cultural and technological change? Aligning with the conference theme, “Our Ruling Classes: Culture, Power and Conflict,” this roundtable invites participants to investigate the shifting landscape of life writing across textual, digital, and visual formats. To foster a vibrant, multi-voiced dialogue, we encourage submissions from a wide range of perspectives, including traditional literary criticism, biographical studies, and creative pieces that feature a reflective or meta-analytical component. Presenters will deliver brief, 10-to-12-minute talks to maximize time for collective discussion.