Nonfiction Biography Autobiography Memoir

What is nonfiction? Nonfiction is writing about real – lives – places – things – events – ideas

What are the most popular forms of nonfiction? The most popular forms of nonfiction are – biographies – autobiographies – memoirs – speeches – informational text

What are your favorite types of nonfiction? Biographies Self-help books Autobiographies Newspaper, magazine, and Internet articles Eyewitness accounts of newsworthy events Memoirs

What are the purposes of nonfiction? To entertain readers To teach readers by providing information, explanation, or instruction To persuade readers to understand a particular viewpoint To offer readers advice To present snapshots of different life experiences for readers

Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir There are many different types of nonfiction. Biography, autobiography, and memoir tend to be favorites among preteens and teenagers. Among the most popular are books about – athletes – entertainers/recording artists – adventurers – historical/political figures

Biography A biography is the story of a person’s life told by another person. Biographies are often written about well- known people. Biographies can also be written about little- known people who have had interesting lives. In all cases, biographers must select the best details to explain what is remarkable about their subjects.

Organization of Biographies Biographies are typically organized chronologically—the events are described in the order in which they happened. – This format helps show how a person’s life experiences affect him or her.

Understanding Biographies A graphic organizer, such as a Time Line or Sequence Map, can help readers to better understand biographies. – A Time Line can help readers remember the chronological order of the events. – A Sequence Map can help readers follow and connect those events. Consider the sample Sequence Map on the next slide.

The Sequence Map below has been filled out for “Abd al-Rahman Ibrahima.” Ibrahima is born in Fouta Djallon, Guinea. As a young man, he meets Dr. John Cox. In his 20s, he is forced into slavery in the U.S. Twenty years later, Cox and others try to help. Ibrahima and his wife are eventually freed. In 1829, Ibrahima dies while traveling home.

Autobiography and Memoir An autobiography is the story of a person’s life, written by that person. – This written account includes all or most of the significant experiences of the individual’s life. A memoir is also the story of a person’s life, written by that person. – This written account extracts and focuses on one or more significant experiences of the individual’s life.

Organization of Autobiography and Memoir Like biographies, autobiographies typically follow chronological order. Memoirs, however, may have less structured organizations. They often use – flashbacks, which interrupt time sequence and present events that occurred earlier or in the past and – foreshadowing, which provides a clue to events that will occur in the future or later in the story

Example of Autobiography In her autobiography “Mi Familia,” Carmen Tafolla flashes back to a time before she was born to explain who she is. My roots in New Mexico go back for centuries—espanoles arriving in the 17 th century to indios parientes already there. The move to Texas happened between 1848 and 1865 (a few wars got in the way, causing strange demographic reshuffles). My great-great-grandmother was already there, and had a seamstress shop in “downtown” San Antonio; my great-grandmother washed clothes in the San Antonio River…. She later married two (one at a time) Confederate veterans. —from “Mi Familia,” by Carmen Tafolla My roots in New Mexico go back for centuries—espanoles arriving in the 17 th century to indios parientes already there. The move to Texas happened between 1848 and 1865 (a few wars got in the way, causing strange demographic reshuffles). My great-great-grandmother was already there, and had a seamstress shop in “downtown” San Antonio; my great-grandmother washed clothes in the San Antonio River…. She later married two (one at a time) Confederate veterans. —from “Mi Familia,” by Carmen Tafolla

Example of Memoir In his memoir “The Jacket,” author Gary Soto describes a few years of his childhood. Soto feels that these years were greatly affected by the ugly green jacket he had to wear at the time. To keep track of the major events in an autobiography or memoir, readers can use a Sequence Map or a Time Line.

This Time Line outlines the events that Soto describes in his memoir. Gary’s mother buys him am ugly green jacket that is too big. Gary’s dog rips an L- shaped tear in the jacket’s sleeve. Gary wears the jacket to school and gets a D on a math test. Gary seems to learn to accept the jacket, but he still doesn’t like it. Gary tells his mother he wants a black leather biker jacket. Gary gets bad grades and no girls like him; he blames the jacket. The jacket becomes too small; the L- shaped rip gets bigger. Gary cries and asks his mom for a new jacket; she says no.

If you were to write an autobiography, what major events would you want to include? Place them on the Time Line below.

SUMMARY: Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir Whether they are reading a biography, an autobiography, or a memoir, readers can – find out more about a person’s life – learn more about a person’s character – gain insight into themselves and the world around them