Women’s Life Writing: From Autobiography to Instagram

This course explores how women have represented themselves across centuries — from early autobiographies and diaries to memoirs, hybrid essays, and digital storytelling. Students will read excerpts from women writers across time and create their own life-writing pieces. Together, we’ll ask: How do we find our voices? How do stories shape identity? What does it mean to share our lives in public — in person and online? Students will explore how women tell their stories, from diaries and oral histories to social media and zines. Students will study voices from the Newcomb Archives, listen to oral histories and podcasts, analyze digital storytelling, and create their own collaborative zine or digital project that connects past and present women’s experiences and reflects on how they document and share their own lives.