Abstract
This chapter interrogates a number of questions about literary texts and their biographical value by exploring significant moments in the lives and afterlives of four controversial writers: Thomas Hardy, Anne Sexton, Ted Hughes, and Elizabeth Bishop. In what ways are literary texts treated as (auto)biographical? What role do ex cathedra sources play? What counts as ex cathedra? What kind of artistic status do literary texts commonly regarded as (auto)biographical assume? Is it possible to shun biographical knowledge? And can biography ever truly account for the power of literary texts?
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | A Companion to Literary Biography |
| Editors | Richard Bradford |
| Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
| Chapter | 11 |
| Pages | 195-212 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781118896433 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781118896297 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 17 Oct 2018 |
Publication series
| Name | Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture |
|---|
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Underwood, J. (2018). Blurred Boundaries: Literary Biography, Literary Autobiography, and Evidence. In R. Bradford (Ed.), A Companion to Literary Biography (pp. 195-212). (Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture). Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118896433.ch11