Download or read book Theoretical Discussions of Biography written by Hans Renders and published by . This book was released on 2014-06-26 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biography has been around at least since the time of Christ, but it was not called that until the late seventeenth century, and even then it was conflated with other terms to describe essentially the same activity. Developed over centuries there has been surprisingly little systematical theoretical work done on the genre of biography. Not only does this text serve as a historical primer on biography it provides a touchstone text on the theories behind the phrase, why it became prominent, and whether or not it can be critically analyzed as a historiographical and literary genre. Whether Biography is a genuine academic genre has long been a nagging question. These days no serious scholar can deny its place in the Humanities. It is omnipresent as a genre, and narrative tradition in the study of the history and interpretation of human lives. However, the field of Biography Studies seems scattered and insecure. Specifically the connections between Biography and History, Microhistory and Life Writing are being discussed. The selected authors have taken up positions in this current debate by means of exploratory but programmatic texts. The volume includes an introduction and contribution by Nigel Hamilton, an award winning biographer and biography scholar.