Autotheories

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

What is autotheory, where did it come from, and how did it find us? Disruptive and transgressive, graphic and intimate, autotheory’s fusion of creative nonfiction with critical theory and philosophy defies generic boundaries and mingles stylistic registers. But whose stories does autotheory tell, in whose voices, and to what ends? How does autotheory situate embodiment in relation to structures and regimes of power? Drawing on investigations of the self through trans and queer of color feminisms, comparative ethnic studies, and anti-colonial theorizing, this course spotlights autotheory's multiple origin stories and hybrid forms while situating it against the contemporary political field. We’ll not only study autotheoretical modes of relation and resistance, but also experiment at the intersections of critical and creative practice. Coursework in literary, critical, feminist, or trans/queer theory strongly recommended.