CREATIVE EMPOWERMENT + WRITING FICTION TO HEAL
In Defense of Autofiction
And there’s nothing you can say to change my mind about it
I love reading articles about books and writing theory as much as I love writing them. On a normal day, I’m able to absorb what is being written about, take it in with curiosity, and then move on to whatever comes next. But once in a while, there’s an article or two that stays with me. Sometimes it’s because it perfectly outlines and says what I have been unable to write about or say. Other times, it’s because I vehemently disagree with what the author of the article is saying. This article you’re reading right now is the product of the latter. After reading and re-reading the article, “Autofiction is Cheating, and You Cannot Change My Mind” by Sarah Hannah Gómez, my blood boiled every time I thought about it. I tried to push it down because who cares about one person’s opinion? But I couldn’t let it go. Maybe because it’s tied intimately into my work with my students and clients. Maybe it’s because I believe so strongly in the power of autofiction for healing that I get so worked up thinking about it.
What does one do when they can’t let go of or shake the feeling that something is inherently wrong? Well, they write about it, of course.
